Betsy DeVos comes out of hiding to complain critics are hurting her feelings

One of the most controversial members of Donald Trump’s Cabinet is Betsy DeVos, the education secretary who has no experience in education, bought her job with political donations, and is fanatically committed to gutting civil rights and public education.

Her policies have been broadly hated, and surveys show an overwhelming amount of teachers feel disrespected by her.

To hear it from DeVos, however, she is the real victim, because all the complaints about how she is running her department have hurt her feelings.

While DeVos has largely stayed away from the press lately — she banned media from her recent speech to the U.S. Conference of Mayors — according to Politico, DeVos complained about the way the public has criticized her at a meeting with reporters.

“It’s hurtful to me when I’m criticized for not upholding the rights of students, the civil rights of students. Nothing could be further from the truth,” said DeVos. “I have to turn it back around and say why do I keep getting criticized for that? I mean nothing that I’ve done would suggest otherwise.”

DeVos is absolutely correct. Nothing she has done would suggest she opposes the civil rights of students.

Except for rescinding federal guidelines for accommodating students with disabilities. And weakening Title IX regulations so that colleges are urged to let accused rapists interrogate their victims. And refusing to provide financial relief to students scammed by predatory for-profit colleges. And declining to even meet with those students, even as she met with a “men’s rights” group that defends campus rape.

One might argue that those students on the short end of these decisions would have far greater cause to feel “hurt” than would the secretary of education in the face of honest criticism of how she is running her department.

This is not the first indication DeVos is unhappy in her job. A Freedom of Information Act request by watchdog group American Oversight reveals that she does not even come into work much of the time.

Not only does DeVos have no respect for the laws her department upholds, she views input from the public as a personal insult. If she is so unhappy, she should considered another line of work.