Conspiracy Thinking in Steiner/Waldorf Schools

A recent disclosure obtained from the Danish Agency for Education and Quality (STUK) describes how a Danish Steiner school handled a case in which the school appears to have tried to downplay the fact that it had employed one of Denmark’s most notorious conspiracy theorists.

The case involving the teacher first arose during the COVID-19 years 2020–2021. The documents suggest that, in managing the situation, the school likely relied on guidelines from international Steiner/Waldorf organizations regarding conspiracy thinking.

During the pandemic, the Goetheanum and the international Steiner/Waldorf movement officially distanced themselves from conspiracy thinking. Leading representatives emphasized that conspiracy theories are not part of anthroposophy as such, while they also tried to balance respect for individual freedom of expression with the movement’s core values.

During this period, statements were also issued stressing respect for public health authorities, dialogue, and responsibility toward the community—particularly in relation to infection control, school closures, and later vaccinations.

The school leadership’s handling of the specific case appears to have been influenced by these overarching guidelines.

At the time, the teacher was strongly critical of vaccines and the use of face masks. The school’s leadership sought legal advice on how to deal with his behavior, partly because he had engaged a lawyer. The legal assessment concluded that the teacher had the right to express critical views, but that there needed to be a clear separation between his private opinions and his role at the school. His criticism was therefore to remain a private matter.

In November 2025, however, STUK became aware of new information indicating that the teacher does not recognize psychiatric diagnoses. Through his public Facebook profile, he shared critical messages about psychiatry and diagnoses, including the claim that ADHD does not exist.

STUK also noted that the profile had around 1,400 followers and a high level of activity. Among other things, posts compared medicating children with diagnoses to giving cocaine to children, and claimed that psychiatrists cannot be trusted. The tone of the posts was generally aggressive.

STUK then requested a formal statement from the school. According to the documents, the school reached an agreement with the teacher that he would stop posting publicly about these topics. In December 2025, the agency reviewed his Facebook profile and confirmed that posts about diagnoses and psychiatry had been removed.

The school further stated that it had “accepted the teacher’s views as long as they remained a private matter and could not be linked to the school,” and that it “otherwise recognizes him as a competent teacher, including in his role as a support teacher for students with diagnoses.”

The case illustrates that it is not sufficient merely to follow overarching guidelines from the Goetheanum. It is reasonable to expect that national Steiner associations and local schools establish their own clear policies for addressing conspiracy thinking—both in relation to applicable legislation and to maintaining public trust.

Se also: Ahriman, Conspiracy Thinking and the Steiner Movement’s Credibility