Federal Court Upholds Arkansas Law Targeting Critical Race Theory
“teaching that would indoctrinate students with [such] ideologies”
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders is working very hard to make Arkansas education great again.
Education Week reports:
Appeals Court Backs Arkansas Law Targeting Critical Race Theory
A federal appeals court has ruled that Arkansas may enforce its law prohibiting teachers from “indoctrination” of students with critical race theory or other so-called “discriminatory” ideologies.
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit, in St. Louis, unanimously vacated a federal district court’s preliminary injunction blocking the 2023 law, which is one of a handful nationwide that echoes anti-CRT rhetoric.
Some 17 other states, including Iowa and North Dakota (which like Arkansas are part of the 8th Circuit), have similar laws, executive orders or other measures. President Donald Trump in January issued an executive order aimed at barring “radical indoctrination” in K-12 schools, including any “discriminatory equity ideology.”
The Arkansas law requires state education officials to ensure schools are in compliance with federal civil rights laws by checking for curricular materials that conflict with the principle of equal protection under the law or encourage students to discriminate based on someone’s protected characteristics.
Teachers who violate the law could lose their teaching licenses. The law exempts teaching about “issues of the day” and allows discussions about the ideas and history of concepts described in the law. The state argued in court papers that the law “does not prohibit teaching about Critical Race Theory,” only “teaching that would indoctrinate students with [such] ideologies.”
Two high school teachers, two high school students, and the Arkansas chapter of the NAACP sued over the law. The teachers argued the law was so vague that it violated the 14th Amendment’s due-process clause, while the students argued that it violated their First Amendment free speech right to receive information.
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Comments
First Amendment right to receive information? I love that right.
I insist on my constitutional right to know your bank account passcode.
“So-called”? I see that A LOT, in so-called “journalism”… ergo I’m surprised to see it here — at least, in the same way I see it there: that is, in hit pieces attacking something sensible and right.
Are you saying CRT is not discriminatory, Mike?