Last year, the Norman Public Schools hired its first full-time DEI director. According to documents obtained by the Parents Defending Education, it then spent $22,750 on equity consultants during the 2020-2021 academic year, even as the district lost students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nicole Neily, president and founder of the newly formed parents advocacy group, said the Norman school district’s social justice tilt is “part of a larger trend” in K-12 education. “What’s interesting to me is that so many people have a misimpression that this is a California or Manhattan issue, and this shows that this is in red states. This is in conservative areas,” said Ms. Neily. “This is a public school district, but it’s in places where I think a lot of community members aren’t even aware that this is in their backyard.”