The Idaho Senate passed a bill banning Critical Race Theory in schools.
- Idaho is about to become the first state to ban Critical Race Theory in schools.
- The state’s Senate passed a bill forbidding schools and universities to teach Critical Race Theory.
- The bill will now be sent to Idaho Governor Brad Little.
On Monday, April 26, the Idaho Senate passed the HB 377 bill, prohibiting schools from teaching Critical Race Theory. As the Daily Wire reports, the act is about to be sent to Governor Brad Little.
Idaho schools refuse to go woke: State senate passes bill BANNING the teaching of critical race theory https://t.co/jrQBzZDOh4
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) April 27, 2021
According to the bill, no school “shall direct or otherwise compel students to personally affirm, adopt, or adhere” that a group of people is either inferior or superior to others because of their sex, race, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin. The law states:
“No distinction or classification of students shall be made on account of race or color. No course of instruction or unit of study directing or otherwise compelling students to personally affirm, adopt, or adhere to any of the tenets identified in paragraph (a) of this subsection shall be used or introduced in any institution of higher education, any school district, or any public school, including a public charter school.”
Republican Senator Carl Crabtree insists that the bill is a “preventive measure.”
According to Crabtree, HB 377 does not necessarily mean that there is an issue related to Critical Race Theory in Idaho. As per Daily Mail, he explained:
“This bill does not intend to prohibit discussion in an open and free way. It is a preventative measure. It does not indicate that we have a rampant problem in Idaho. But we don’t want to get one.”
The Idaho Freedom Foundation also supported the bill.
#idleg #idpol https://t.co/vUsgRVRxKS
— Idaho Freedom Foundation (@idahofreedom) April 26, 2021
However, they criticized the structure of the law, noting that it does not protect educators. In a statement regarding the act, they said:
“Under House Bill 377, faculty members, teachers and professors could still be forced to undergo anti-racism or culturally responsive training if they wish to serve on search committees or even obtain or keep a job. When educators are trained to be activists, the classroom becomes inherently political and one-sided.”
The foundation adds that HB 377 “imposes no consequences on public universities and schools that violate section 33-138 of the bill by compelling students to affirm Critical Race Theory.” Moreover, they claim that the act “does not provide sufficient accountability for public schools and universities.”
The statement continues:
“For many people, Critical Race Theory training and educational programs violate both freedom of conscience and freedom of speech. Their freedom of speech is violated by being compelled to admit to complicity in racism and sexism that are unlikely to be true.”
