{"id":440533,"date":"2022-05-02T05:30:07","date_gmt":"2022-05-02T02:30:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/why-im-suing-my-school-district-over-critical-race-theory\/"},"modified":"2022-05-02T05:30:07","modified_gmt":"2022-05-02T02:30:07","slug":"why-im-suing-my-school-district-over-critical-race-theory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-im-suing-my-school-district-over-critical-race-theory\/","title":{"rendered":"#Why I&#8217;m suing my school district, over critical race theory"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a368be28841b\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a368be28841b\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-im-suing-my-school-district-over-critical-race-theory\/#%E2%80%9CWhy_Im_suing_my_school_district_over_critical_race_theory%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Why I&#8217;m suing my school district, over critical race theory&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CWhy_Im_suing_my_school_district_over_critical_race_theory%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Why I&#8217;m suing my school district, over critical race theory&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>The first days of returning to school after the COVID-19 pandemic were overwhelming. Like other educators across the country, those of us working in Albemarle County, Va., public schools were suddenly faced with fresh challenges that required our full attention and energy: implementing new health and safety procedures, helping students who had fallen behind academically during virtual learning and doing our very best to restore a productive learning environment for all.<\/p>\n<p>It was at this exact time our school district decided to introduce controversial policies and mandatory teacher training based on critical race theory. The goal was laudable \u2014 to \u201cbecome an anti-racist school system\u201d \u2014 but the curriculum, in fact, produced the opposite result.<\/p>\n<p>As assistant principal at Charlottesville\u2019s Agnor-Hurt Elementary School, I witnessed firsthand how this training directed teachers\u00a0<em>to be<\/em>\u00a0<em>racist<\/em>\u00a0by viewing each other and their students based solely on race and then treating each other differently according to the color of their skin. Indeed, this curriculum, based on Glenn Singleton\u2019s\u00a0book \u201cCourageous Conversations About Race,\u201d promotes harmful racial stereotypes. It also teaches that students of color are inherently disadvantaged.<\/p>\n<p>I believe every person is made in the image of God and entitled to equal treatment and respect, so this content im<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>tely set off warning signals. And I wasn\u2019t alone. Fellow teachers and staff members repeatedly shared their concerns with me about how the curriculum created a racially divisive and hostile environment and about the hurtful comments other staff members made throughout the training, which denigrated them for being white.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"706\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/1387134662.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) questions U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on critical race theory during her Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill, March 22, 2022.\" class=\"wp-image-22104943\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/1387134662.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2048 2048w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/1387134662.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/1387134662.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/1387134662.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Critics of critical race theory argue the curriculum creates a racially divisive and hostile environment.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Anna Moneymaker\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I had to speak up. I expressed my deep concerns with numerous administrators not only about the harm this was inflicting on our staff but the cascading harm it would have on our diverse student body and families. I believed it would be beneficial for the administration and district supervisors to receive constructive feedback from someone on the ground, to hear what was actually taking place in the building and the negative effect this training was having on teachers and staff.<\/p>\n<p>But my concerns were ignored. And then, an honest mistake \u2014 a slip of the tongue \u2014 revealed just how hostile and unforgiving the culture had become as a result of this harmful content.<\/p>\n<p>In one training session, the group discussed the district\u2019s race-related hiring practices. I commented on the topic, intending to use the phrase \u201cpeople of color,\u201d but as I was talking, I said \u201ccolored\u201d instead. I immediately apologized, but one staff member would not accept the apology and berated me in front of the group.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/GettyImages-174833875.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Diverse college or high school class reciting pledge of allegiance.\" class=\"wp-image-22104964\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/GettyImages-174833875.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=2048 2048w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/GettyImages-174833875.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1536 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/GettyImages-174833875.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/GettyImages-174833875.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Mais says she believes \u201cevery person is made in the image of God and entitled to equal treatment and respect.\u201d<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">Getty Images\/iStockphoto<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Rather than accept it for what it was \u2014 a genuine slip of the tongue \u2014 the district treated me like a racist in need of further \u201canti-racism\u201d instruction. District officials called me into meetings and demanded that I further address a situation for which I continued to apologize \u2014 yet my repeated apologies were never good enough.<\/p>\n<p>They allowed some staff members to continue harassing me by calling me names \u2014 including \u201cwhite racist b\u2013ch\u201d and \u201ctwo-faced racist b\u2013ch\u201d \u2014 spreading rumors about me and even standing outside my office to intimidate me and anyone who came to talk with me. I reported this to my superiors, but the district ignored me and let the harassment continue.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignright\">\n    <\/aside>\n<p>The work environment became so hostile I had no choice but to leave a job I had excelled at and loved. As an administrator, I have a duty to advocate policies that protect my students and serve their and their families\u2019 best interests. I took great pride in my responsibility to support faculty and staff under my charge by promoting a work environment of unity and acceptance, not hostility and division.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, standing on that principle cost me my job. With no checks or balances to protect individuals from a system that squelches all dissent, the school district created an environment so hostile that no reasonable person could be expected to stay.<\/p>\n<p>But all is not lost.<\/p>\n<p>If through my\u00a0lawsuit\u00a0against the district filed with the help of Alliance Defending Freedom, I can help shine a light on all the other teachers and parents who have been vilified for speaking truth, or are gr<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ling with this work the way I did, and bring needed change, what I went through will not be in vain.<\/p>\n<p>This transcends all ideologies, backgrounds and political persuasions. My deep desire is for public educators to model for every student entrusted to their care how to love and treat each other equally with the dignity and respect every child of God deserves.<\/p>\n<p><em>Emily Mais was assistant principal at Agnor-Hurt Elementary School in Charlottesville, Va.<\/em>\n                        <\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2022\/05\/01\/why-im-suing-my-school-district-over-critical-race-theory\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Why I&#8217;m suing my school district, over critical race theory&#8221; The first days of returning to school after the COVID-19 pandemic were overwhelming. Like other educators across the country, those of us working in Albemarle County, Va., public schools were suddenly faced with fresh challenges that required our full attention and energy: implementing new health&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":440534,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/05\/emily.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[128719,108748,28776,69286,47212,72971],"class_list":["post-440533","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-5-1-22","tag-critical-race-theory","tag-race","tag-schools","tag-teachers","tag-virginia"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/440533","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=440533"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/440533\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/440534"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=440533"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=440533"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=440533"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}