The GOP-controlled Oklahoma House passed a bill, 70-19, banning critical race theory (CRT) from public schools, including colleges and universities.
The bill prohibits teachers from teaching students “that individuals, by virtue of race or gender, are inherently racist, sexist or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously.”
The bill says no teacher or administrator can require or weave into a course these concepts:
a. one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex,b. an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously,c. an individual should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment solely or partly because of his or her race or sex,d. members of one race or sex cannot and should not attempt to treat others without respect to race or sex,e. an individual’s moral character is necessarily determined by his or her race or sex,f. an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex,g. any individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress on account of his or her race or sex, orh. meritocracy or traits such as a hard work ethic are racist or sexist or were created by members of a particular race to oppress members of another race.
House Minority Leader Rep. Emily Virgin of Norman complained the Republicans continued “their attack on anyone in Oklahoma who might not look, think, love, or act like them.”
Virgin’s district includes the University of Oklahoma, which has “training on gender and sexual diversity.”
Virgin added: “That’s what freshman orientations are about: making it clear that this is an inclusive space and inclusive environment and no one should be made to feel that they don’t belong. To say in this building that we should prohibit that sort of training goes against the very fabric and very idea of higher education.”
I have no idea what Virgin is talking about. The bill is not attacking anyone nor is it racist or sexist.
Teachers cannot teach or imply a person is racist, sexist, or any other -ist because of the color of their skin. This isn’t complicated.
“Students are being taught that because they’re a certain race or sex, they’re inherently superior to others or should feel guilty for something that happened in the past,” stated bill sponsor Rep. Kevin West, a Moore Republican. “We’re trying to set boundaries that we as a state say will not be crossed when we’re teaching these kinds of subjects.”
The bill heads to Gov. Kevin Stitt’s desk.
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