The Lone Star State Implements New Legislation That Would Make Teaching Critical Race Theory Illegal

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Texas introduced a new bill that will make Critical Race Theory and other radical teachings such as sex-based guilt theories illegal in public schools, according to The Daily Wire.

The bill is called Senate Bill 2202.

Senate Bill 2202 is being reviewed by the House Public Education Committee.

The bill also implements the required teaching of the founding documents that America was built on and other American ideals.

The Daily Wire reported that some of the teachings that are could be made illegal are:

That “one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex.”

That “any individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive either consciously or unconsciously.”

That “an individual should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment solely or partly because of his or her race or sex.”

That “members of one race or sex cannot and should not attempt to treat others without respect to race or sex.”

That “an individual’s moral character is necessarily determined by his race or sex.”

That “an individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by members of his or her race or sex.”

That “any individual should feel guilt, anguish, or any form of psychological distress on account of his or her race or sex.”

That “meritocracy or traits such as hard work are racist or sexist, or were created by members of a particular race to oppress members of another race.”

Additionally, the bill would restrict educators’ ability to bring politics into the classroom, and would prevent schools from compelling teachers to “discuss current events or widely debated and currently controversial issues of public policy or social affairs.”

From The Daily Wire:

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Similar legislation passed last week in Idaho, with additional bills under consideration in West Virginia, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Arkansas.

While I have my doubts about the ability of any law to effectively counter the ideological cancer that has taken over much of our education system, the language of this bill demonstrates a robust understanding of the destructive ideas it aims to curtail. Rather than denouncing Critical Race Theory by name or even in full, it targets what lawmakers consider to be the most divisive ideological components of the theory, specifically those which can be logically shown to promote discrimination based on race or sex.

In one remarkable paragraph, the bill details a litany of specific concepts that “no teacher, administrator, or other employee in any state agency…shall require, or make part of a course.”

The bill also restricts schools’ ability to mandate race-based training for staff that promotes any of the above concepts. According to SB2202, no teacher or administrator “shall be required to engage in training, orientation, or therapy that presents any form of race or sex stereotyping or places any blame on the basis of race or sex.”

Lastly, the bill also prohibits schools and districts from accepting “private funding for the purpose of developing a curriculum, purchasing or selecting curriculum materials, or providing teacher training or professional development for a course” in any of the following areas of study: “Texas history, United States history, world history, government, civics, social studies, or other similar subjects.”

The first major question is whether this law will be pragmatically enforceable. Ultimately, enforcement of any nondiscrimination legislation requires whistleblowing on the part of teachers, administrators, parents, and even students. In the current climate, that may prove challenging.

Another challenge is the nature of the content. Critical Race Theory has become popular because it closely mimics legitimate and constructive discussions about racism and equality. Many unwitting educators, parents, and students are unable to confidently discern between the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. and ideas of Marxist origins, like those of Ibram X Kendi. However, the expanded possibility of legal challenges from parents may dissuade schools from flirting with that line.