Dr. Corey A. DeAngelis has made a name for himself as an education freedom advocate, but he’s also been the focus over the past two weeks of media stories surrounding decade-old appearances in adult films.
DeAngelis, who was reportedly fired by the American Federation for Children (AFC) after the videos came to light, sat down with CBN News to discuss these stories, claims from activists that his past makes him a hypocrite, and more.
Despite furor and negative messaging, DeAngelis said public support in the wake of the past revelations “has been overwhelming.”
“There are images and videos circulating of me from my college days about a decade ago that I’m not proud of,” he said. “They’re embarrassing.”
DeAngelis described being drawn into pornographic work as a young adult and pondered how much more pervasive such content can be when introduced to younger kids.
“If I was able to be lured in to make bad decisions as a young adult in college, just imagine how much worse it could be for younger people,” he said, explaining how the experience became fuel in his fight for educational freedom and reform. “So I fought against this kind of material being included in the classroom. I’ve been consistent. I’ve changed my life. People change over time.”
DeAngelis was careful, though, to note that he owns his mistakes. He said he long ago stopped himself before being further sucked into the adult film industry.
“I was an adult,” he said. “I did make those decisions. I’m not proud of those decisions, but I can see how it can be deceptive, and the entire industry can be deceptive, especially for young people.”
Years later, DeAngelis is putting his efforts toward education reform, publishing the recent book, “The Parent Revolution: Rescuing Your Kids from the Radicals Ruining Our Schools.”
But considering DeAngelis’ public-facing work and success advocating for school choice, the aforementioned videos and images, intended for gay audiences, have led progressive advocates to mobilize against DeAngelis.
“There has been a cancellation attempt from the left, in particular, and my political opponents trying to accuse me of hypocrisy,” he said. “Their claims fall flat.”
DeAngelis cited fellow activist Christopher F. Rufo who recently defended DeAngelis and said on X that “cancellation requires consent” — something DeAngelis said he’s unwilling to give.
“Guess what? I do not consent to this smear campaign mudslinging,” DeAngelis said. “It is something dug up from my past — something, again, I’m not proud of, and something that fuels my fire to keep this material away from children.”
As for the recent reaction to these videos coming to light, DeAngelis said the attacks have been relentless and have gone after far more than his finances.
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“They also came after my family,” he said. “They want to cancel my family bond; my wife already knew about all this stuff [and] it wasn’t a surprise to her. She’s been stronger than I have been throughout the entire process.”
DeAngelis continued, “She had people DMing her … and these people wanted to try to tell her to get out of the marriage, to file for divorce. She never entertained any of that, obviously. But it just goes to show you how evil the other side can be.”
And that’s not all, as DeAngelis said some encouraged him to take his own life.
“I had direct messages of people telling me to go kill myself because they know how hectic it could be during this time, and that it would be a lot quieter and a lot more peaceful if I were to just go through the route of suicide,” he added.
DeAngelis said he has no plans of backing down from his life — or his work, for that matter.
“I will continue fighting,” he said. “I’m not going away.”
Revelations about DeAngelis’ past coming to light have freed him in many ways, as he said he’s no longer worried people might try to use the information as blackmail or to silence him. While it’s been a challenging two weeks, he said the situation has actually brought his family “closer together.”
“We were already rock solid,” he said. “We already had that foundation of honesty, and trust, and just love for each other.”
As an activist for parental rights and school choice, my passion is personal. Just like everyone else, I have made mistakes throughout my life, learned from those mistakes, used that as an opportunity to grow and tried to channel that experience into something positive. I was a…
— Corey A. DeAngelis, school choice evangelist (@DeAngelisCorey) September 30, 2024
One of the most compelling ways the dilemma has changed DeAngelis has been in the area of faith. Describing himself as a lifelong agnostic, he said the situation has brought him and his wife, whom he described as a “believer,” closer to church.
“We’re watching our local church on TV each Sunday,” DeAngelis said. “And, the first time that we tuned in a couple of weeks ago, just the things that the pastor was saying — it just brought me to tears.”
At least one Christian friend has sent him a book in the mail to help spark spiritual conversations.
“Everything happens for a reason,” DeAngelis said. “I don’t know where this will lead, but, at this point, it’s looking like it’s turning into a positive experience.”
His story also offers an opportunity for him to deliver some advice to others who find themselves grappling with difficult past decisions — or even current blunders.
“You can change as a person,” he said. “If you’re in a bad situation right now, you can get out of it like I got out of it.”
DeAngelis continued, “If you’ve made a mistake in your past, what I would like to advise is: don’t be silent, and sit down, and shut up, and be afraid. I had that fear in the back of my mind. I continued the fight for education freedom.”
Watch his full discussion of the matter here.
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