Teaching so-called “critical race theory” would be prohibited in Ohio's K-12 classrooms under a pair of bills introduced Tuesday by Republican state lawmakers that are similar to legislation introduced nationwide by GOP lawmakers.
A growing group of Ohio s Republican lawmakers say they re troubled by a new way some schools are teaching history and they want to put a stop to it.
It s called critical race theory, or CRT for short. It s an academic concept based on the idea that racism is more than individual bias: It s a systemic problem that s embedded into our legal system, our algorithms and our laws.
Supporters say CRT teaches how racism shaped public policy and life in America. Opponents, like the sponsors of House Bill 322, call it a dangerous and divisive theory. It is designed to look at everything from a ‘race first’ lens, which is the very definition of racism, Rep. Don Jones, R-Freeport, said in a statement announcing the bill. CRT claiming to fight racism is laughable. Students should not be asked to ‘examine their whiteness’ or ‘check their privilege. This anti-American doctrine has no place in Ohio’s schools.