KENNEWICK, Washington (LifeSiteNews) – A Washington state school board voted unanimously last week to remove Critical Race Theory (CRT) from lesson plans.
Kennewick School Board approved a policy that bars teachers from telling students that their value derives from their race last Wednesday. The district approved the measure in a unanimous 5-0 vote. The policy further states that students should learn “factual” history and places a ban on “indoctrination” and “the belief that the United States is fundamentally or systemically racist.”
“Neither preferential nor disparaging treatment shall be applied to learning about any race, and no student shall be taught that their skin color determines their ability to succeed; that their race determines their moral character; or that their race make them responsible for past transgressions of their race,” the policy states. “Moreover, no student shall be taught that their socio-economic status or U.S. citizenship status makes them superior or inferior to others.”
“Criteria used to guide academic inquiry into matters of race as aligned to district standards and curriculum shall seek the same neutrality, objectivity and educational effectiveness expected in other areas of the curriculum,” the policy continues.
The board decided on the measure after discussing it in a June retreat, the Tri-City Herald reported. Speaking to the Herald, school board member Gabe Galbraith maintained that while the policy could have been more strongly worded, it was what was agreed upon in the June meeting. “Anytime in politics, there’s give and take. Could this have been stronger? I think so. But we had a great discussion in June, and everyone was able to voice their concerns and thoughts, and I think we were able to capture that in this policy,” he said.
Galbraith also stated that while the policy does not prohibit teachers from discussing historical events in a nuanced way, it does introduce accountability when political opinions are discussed.
Violations of the policy are not expected, as it codifies preexisting practice for the school district, though would be “situation specific,” district communications director Rob Chastain told the Herald.
In May 2021, Washington Democratic Governor Jay Inslee signed a law that requires all school staff, faculty, board directors, and administrators working at public schools to undergo CRT training. That same month he signed a law that mandated all faculty and staff at public colleges and universities in the state undergo diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism training for the 2022-23 school year.
The presence of CRT in classrooms and teachers’ training sessions has sparked parental backlash and has prompted conservative governors to prohibit its presence in school curricula.
A Florida law that bans the use of CRT in teachers’ training took effect in June, using language similar to the Kennewick School Board’s policy. The law faced a legal challenge before Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed it. Oklahoma passed a law that banned CRT in classrooms last year, and Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt launched an investigation into Tulsa Public Schools for violating the law. The district’s accreditation status was demoted, being given “accreditation with warning” for violating the legislation.
In January, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin banned teaching critical race theory in Virginia schools the day of his swearing in. Missouri Attorney General and Republican Senatorial candidate Eric Schmitt subpoenaed several school districts over questionnaires dealing with critical race theory and gender theory in June.
Last year, a teacher for Indianapolis Public Schools was put on leave for exposing the district’s CRT curriculum; the district maintained that it did not teach CRT.