A federal judge in Arkansas has ruled that two high school teachers cannot be prevented from discussing critical race theory in the classroom, but the state can still enforce its ban on “indoctrination” in public schools. The ban is part of an education overhaul signed into law by Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders last year. The prohibition on discussing critical race theory is being challenged by two teachers and two students at Little Rock Central High School, the site of the 1957 desegregation crisis.
In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Lee Rudofsky stated that the state’s arguments show that the law does not completely prevent classroom instruction that teaches, uses, or refers to any theory, idea, or ideology. The ruling prohibits the state from disciplining teachers for teaching, mentioning, or discussing critical race theory, an academic framework that focuses on the idea that racism is embedded in the nation’s institutions. Rudofsky’s decision provides comfort to teachers across the state that they can still discuss critical race theory as long as they do not compel students to accept it as valid.
Rudofsky’s ruling prohibits teachers from taking actions such as grading based on whether a student accepts or rejects a theory or giving preferential treatment based on a student’s acceptance of a theory. Both the state and attorneys for the teachers and students involved in the lawsuit claimed the ruling as an initial victory in the ongoing litigation over the ban on discussing critical race theory in Arkansas public schools. The lawsuit was brought forward by the two teachers and students because an Advanced Placement course on African American Studies was decided not to count toward state credit for the 2023-2024 school year.
Republican Attorney General Tim Griffin viewed the ruling as merely prohibiting actions that Arkansas was not doing in the first place, affirming that the state’s law does not prevent teaching the history of segregation, the civil rights movement, or slavery. The attorneys representing the teachers and students in the case argued that the ruling essentially gutted Arkansas’ classroom censorship law, rendering it virtually meaningless. The issue highlights the ongoing debate in several Republican-led states, including Arkansas and Tennessee, where restrictions have been placed on how race is taught in the classroom, including bans on critical race theory.
The lawsuit in Arkansas challenges the state’s vague ban on discussing critical race theory, which forces educators to self-censor their teaching to avoid running afoul of the law. The ruling from U.S. District Judge Lee Rudofsky provides some clarity for teachers that they can still discuss critical race theory in the classroom, as long as they do not compel students to accept it as valid. Educators and civil rights advocates see the ruling as a step in the right direction in fighting against restrictions on discussing race and bias in classrooms, while Republican officials see it as a confirmation that the state’s laws do not prevent teaching important topics such as the history of segregation, civil rights, and slavery. The debate over critical race theory and how race is taught in schools continues to unfold in Arkansas and other states across the country.
