A school board in Virginia was sued by a group of parents on Wednesday for indoctrinating students in radical ideology.
The Alliance Defending Freedom announced that they will be representing a group of nine parents and their children who filed a lawsuit against the Albermarle County School Board, which enacted policies that are discriminatory and taught Critical Race Theory.
The Albermarle County School Board enacted the policy in 2019 that involves treating students according to their race. The students were reportedly compelled to affirm and support ideas contrary to their moral, religious, and philosophical beliefs.
Every core subject taught in the school focused on the stereotyping of races. Students were treated based on their religion and race. Anyone who did not align to the said ideologies and teachings were mislabeled as "racist" and were threatened with punishment.
The parents and the students asked the court to make the school board stop in its enforcement of the said policy, which violates the equal protection rights, the right to free speech and religious freedom, and the right of parents to direct the education and upbringing of children. They also asked the court to remove the disciplinary system established by the school board to punish those who dissent or oppose the policy.
The lawsuit highlighted that the plaintiffs do not intend to vanish racism but whether the school board used means contrary to the United States Constitution in teaching the said ideology.
"The question in this case is not whether racism still exists; it does. Nor is the question whether racism must be vanquished; it must. Rather, the question is whether (Albemarle County School Board) may use unconstitutional means to indoctrinate students with an ideology that teaches children to affirmatively discriminate based on race. The Virginia Constitution answers with a resounding 'no,'" the lawsuit stressed.
The lawsuit also pointed out that the board's understanding of racism is one that denigrades and harms others. It is an understanding wherein students were classified them according to privilege and superiority, such that it discriminates those who do not participate in it.
"Defendants also urged certain students to consider their privilege or lack of privilege, and to strive to be 'anti-racists,' because '(i)n the absence of making anti-racist choices, we (un)consciously uphold aspects of white supremacy, white-dominant culture, and unequal institutions and society,'" the lawsuit said.
In line with this, Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Kate Anderson reminded the purpose of the academe is to educate and not to indoctrinate. Anderson also stressed the right of parents to protect their children from anyone who instills harmful ideologies upon them.
"Our clients believe that every person is made in the image of God, deserves respect, and therefore, should not be punished or rewarded for something over which they have no control. Public schools have no right to demean students because of their race, ethnicity, or religion," Anderson said.
Last month, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin launched, "Help Education," which is an anonymous tip line the public can call to give any tip or information regarding schools that teach CRT.
CRT was one of the divisive issues Youngkin promised to address during the gubernatorial race. Youngkin, who won the gubernatorial race last November, signed Executive Order Number One on his first day of office last January 15 to end CRT in public education. The order intends to restore academic excellence in the state.
