This Superintendent Opposes ‘Critical Race Theory’ in the Classroom — Here’s What She Asked the State AG to Do

Montana’s Superintendent of Public Instruction asked the state’s Attorney General to determine the legality of teaching critical race theory (CRT) in government schools.

According to the Biden administration, the rule, Proposed Priorities-American History and Civics Education, would “support the development of culturally responsive teaching and learning and the promotion of information literacy skills in grants under these programs.”

The public may comment on the proposed rule until May 19 at the Federal Register website.

In the four-page letter (PDF) dated Wednesday, Elsie Arntzen expressed concern that the regulation would encourage schools to treat students differently based on race, a violation of federal and state non-discrimination laws. She called the ideas behind CRT “fallacious” and cites examples of the damage already caused by this fringe theory.

Arntzen believes that the CRT curriculum may cause a “racially hostile environment.” The ensuing harassment may be “sufficiently severe, pervasive or persistent so as to interfere with or limit the ability of a student to participate in or benefit from the services, activities or privileges provided by a school.”

Arntzen also wrote commentary on Medium.com. She said the proposed rule is an “outlandish succotash of woke phrases and vague terms [that] clearly reflects an effort to hide the more extensive agenda behind the proposal: financially incentivizing school districts across the country to teach our children fringe thinking like critical race theory. This is an effort, led by the highest office in the nation, to replace neutrality in teaching with slanted propaganda. Our students should learn and appreciate the history of this country, flaws and all. But this isn’t education, it’s indoctrination.”

Christopher Rufo, director of the Discovery Institute’s Center on Wealth & Poverty, recruited a team of legal foundations and law firms to file a lawsuit against the Biden administration over the president’s executive order that dismantled former President Donald Trump’s 1776 Commission.

“My legal coalition has argued that critical race theory curricula compel speech in violation of the First Amendment and constitute racial discrimination in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment and the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” Rufo wrote on Twitter. “We are happy to assist Montana in any capacity.”

Any American who opposes this indoctrination may submit a public comment on the proposed rule until May 19 at the Federal Register website.

Photo credit: By Johnperk12 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, link

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2 comments

  1. Thanks for the link to the Federal Register. I sent a comment. All should make the effort even if brief. I was respectful and cited Dr King as part of my talking point. All good people and citizens of this ever improving land, must help to stop the undermining of the gains made in the past 50 years and get these woke people to focus on fixing the family properly. It is a main tenet in stopping the crime and murder.

    • How far separated is “critical race theory” from simple Black history study? Took a good long time to include the latter in secondary and collegiate curriculum.