New tack: Bans on critical race theory in schools having a 'chilling effect' on discourse, threatening First Amendment

As Twitchy reported not too long ago, the hacks at Politifact decided to take a look at critical race theory from a “Republicans pounce” perspective. They don’t seem to know what critical race theory is, or how it’s implemented in school curriculums, but they do know that conservatives are the ones trying to block it (a theory disproved by the comments, in which plenty of liberals said they don’t want CRT in schools). Christopher Rufo offered up a thread explaining exactly what CRT means in a school environment with real-life examples, in case Politifact actually felt like checking the facts.

The cheap-and-dirty argument against bans on CRT in schools was that it would keep teachers from teaching about slavery. That’s completely disingenuous, but now we have an uninformed media doing pieces on the “chilling effect” legislation is having on classroom discourse.

Larger problem w/ critical race theory bans isn’t that a chunk of material is now illegal. One can teach around bans very easily. Problem is they scare teachers away from topics & conversations. This “chilling effect” is what 1st Amendment prohibits. https://t.co/SjvbFJFLjp

— Derek W. Black (@DerekWBlack) May 26, 2021

That’s Derek W. Black, author of “Schoolhouse Burning: Public Education and the Assault on American Democracy.” The blurb on Amazon describes it this way:

Today’s current schooling trends — the declining commitment to properly fund public education and the well-financed political agenda to expand vouchers and charter schools — present a major assault on the democratic norms that public education represents and risk undermining one of the unique accomplishments of American society.

That makes it pretty clear where Black is coming from.

This is an unbelievably stupid take.

— Jaden Goodrich (@jaden_goodrich) May 26, 2021

Do you not agree that the government should create a "chilling effect" around teaching "alternatives to evolution" or "vaccines cause autism" in *tax-payer* funded public schools?

The 1619 lies are more destructive than both of the above lies.

— irregardless_of_irreason (@IIrreason) May 26, 2021

Students have rights under the law.

Part of the 1st Amendment is the Establishment Clause that forbids public institutions from attempting to indoctrinate children into religions or ideologies. That directly applies to school curriculums.

Also, Civil Rights Act. pic.twitter.com/SuuoHTRPxu

— Aurelian of Rome (@AurelianofRome) May 26, 2021

Here’s an idea. Keep CRT out of public schools altogether. That’s what they do with religion. And CRT is in effect, the religion of those striving to force it upon our children.

— Admone (@Admone7) May 26, 2021

All you have to do is stop teaching stereotyping, scapegoating and racial superiority/inferiority as fact. Not that hard.

— Dilbert O'Reilly (@dilbert_o) May 26, 2021

“Illegal” Not suitable for K-12 curriculum does not make the concepts illegal. pic.twitter.com/hdZJyuvQ8f

— devoncarson (@devoncarson) May 26, 2021

I, for one, will be very glad that teachers will be "scared" to discuss "topics & conversations" such as scapegoating and dividing people up by race – on taxpayer dollars. They're free to do it on their own dime & time. And decent people should be disgusted if they do.

— MischaveinLimroidBoi (@limroid) May 26, 2021

Wow, you support our schools racially scapegoating children. In this day and age. Unbelievable.

— James Lindsay, so thicc and famous somehow (@ConceptualJames) May 26, 2021

In other words you want children to be racist to one another. Seems abusive.

— PamMustard (@pammustard) May 26, 2021

Whose fault would that be? All major indications of race relations (most notably interracial r/ships) have been improving over decades. Teaching equality makes sense, & people were receptive to it. CRT is toxic, and divisive, and people are pushing back. Why did they change tack?

— Frustrated Voter (@FrustratedVote4) May 26, 2021

How about you start by agreeing that racial stereotyping, scapegoating, and discrimination have no place in out schools, paid for by taxpayers, sponsored by the state, Derek. https://t.co/XD4tP9LO3C

— James Lindsay, so thicc and famous somehow (@ConceptualJames) May 26, 2021

And, speaking of chilling discourse, nothing and no one outdo the critical theorists in this regard.

— torpido (@edgecitykid) May 26, 2021

I'm more concerned with the "chilling effect" that lies, bigotry and racism has on our children. The honest colorblind liberalism of the 1960s is gone. Remember when equal was the goal?

— Sherry (@sherryande) May 26, 2021

State sanctioned racism

— Zac (@Zac2040) May 26, 2021

I swear there's a plot out there somewhere to make American kids even worse at math and reading (it still blows my mind that anyone can be bad at reading) by teaching them racism instead of multiplication tables

— Sentinel1 (@Sentinel118) May 26, 2021

“It’s a shame that racism and false doctrines of our history can’t be taught in schools.” Lay off the weed prof, your brain isn’t doing well.

— Aragormaga (@Aragormaga) May 26, 2021

Go for it, prof. Maybe you’re in for a “chilling effect” firing.

— Deplorable Spuds of the Cult45 Clan (@spudahoi90) May 26, 2021

They got it right above; if you want a “chilling effect” on speech, try arguing against CRT in your school, and teachers and board members will put you on a list and solicit people to spy on your groups and hack your sites and expose you as racists.

Related:

'You absolute hacks': PolitiFact examines why conservatives are trying to block Critical Race Theory, especially since it's not that big a deal https://t.co/V7nqAqmvvs

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) May 26, 2021