# Critical Race Theory Boogeyman **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 21, 2021, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754 "2021-06-21T12:24:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754/121 "2021-07-13T23:42:22Z")
As another example, [here’s the book I read to first graders online](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRxG6BmOWDo) during Black History Month, to get them thinking about ways they could be positive citizens fighting for justice. Does it show Martin Luther King speaking to them from beyond the grave about racist white assassins? Teachers who do this work aren’t raging Marxists plotting the downfall of Whitey, any more than 1980s day care workers were Satan worshippers drinking the blood of children. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2021, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754/122 "2021-07-13T23:47:08Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > As another example, [here’s the book I read to first graders online](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRxG6BmOWDo) during Black History Month, to get them thinking about ways they could be positive citizens fighting for justice. I imagined you a middle school grade level teacher. Or is this middle school level reading these days? 😜 ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2021, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754/123 "2021-07-14T00:05:40Z")
I teach in the academically gifted department, which means I serve kids K-5, both in whole-class lessons and in smaller pull-out groups. ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2021, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754/124 "2021-07-25T00:38:53Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > any more than 1980s day care workers were Satan worshippers drinking the blood of children _My_ day care lady was too busy chain-smoking and trying to make me eat pimento-loaf and mayo sandwiches… So almost the same thing to 6-year-old me 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2021, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754/125 "2021-07-25T02:25:10Z")
> [@Kron](#): > > trying to make me eat pimento-loaf and mayo sandwiches… Geez, talk about giving Satanic child abuse a bad name! ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754/126 "2021-07-26T11:23:02Z")
Pimento loaf is definitely a tool of the Devil. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2022, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754/127 "2022-03-04T17:41:15Z")
> [@SunUp](#): > > We had a similar bill in Arizona which failed adoption by the Senate […] > > […] the meat of this is up near the top: > > > 1. **Prohibits** a school district, charter school or state agency (entity) from **requiring a teacher** , employee or a visitor **to discuss controversial issues** of public policy or social affairs that are not essential to course learning objectives. > > 2. States that accurate portrayals of historical events, lessons on recognizing and reporting abuse and sex education are not controversial issues. > > 3. Requires a teacher to present issues from diverse and contending perspectives without giving deference to any one perspective, if the teacher chooses to discuss controversial issues. > > All nice and cut-and-dried there, right? “Controversial”, “not essential”, “accurate”, “diverse and contending”. Everyone can agree on what these things mean. Not. > > But I’m sure if a teacher steps over the (bright, red) line, it can be handled internally with an apology and some better understanding of what the law is really about, right? > > > 1. Allows the court, for each violation, to impose a civil penalty of not more than $5,000 per person, plus any amount of misused monies from the entity budget, against a person who knowingly violates or aids the violation **of the prohibition on controversial issues**. > > 2. States that any person who is responsible for adopting curriculum in violation **of the prohibition on controversial issues** is responsible for paying all civil penalties and misuse of monies. > > 3. Prohibits school district monies or insurance payments from being used to pay these civil penalties or misused monies. > > […] > > 4. Allows the AG to bring an action to recover monies against a teacher, administrator, employee of a school district or charter school or state employee whose violation **of the prohibition of controversial issue** resulted in an illegal use of public monies. > > So a teacher that steps a toe over the line can be assessed $5000 plus however much it cost for this entire judicial process to play out. Good afternoon **SunUp** , My read of the paragraphs you cited is that the penalties only apply to a violation of point #1. If a teacher (or administrator, school board member, etc) requires other teachers to discuss controversial issues which are not essential to course learning objectives, they become liable to the penalties. My read is that the penalties you quoted do not apply to a teacher who decides on her own to have discussions of controversial issues in class, but does not present the diverse and contending perspectives. ~Max, not a lawyer ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2022, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754/128 "2022-03-07T05:34:58Z")
Postive news [here](https://www.today.com/parents/parents/high-schools-lose-ap-classes-banning-required-topics-rcna18813): > High schools could lose AP classes if they ban ‘required topics’ from being taught > > The College Board says schools that fail to teach topics outlined by the Advanced Placement program could lose AP designation for those classes. Makes my day. This is almost as great as the day some years back when the state of California told those fundamentalist-run schools that their teaching ID meant their students’ high school diplomas are worthless. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2022, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754/129 "2022-03-07T07:20:44Z")
Well if critical race ‘theory’ isn’t being taught in high school I’m not sure how it’s required for an AP course. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2022, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754/130 "2022-03-07T07:47:54Z")
It isn’t…but it is surprising (or maybe it isn’t) what is being labeled “Critical Race Theory” by ignorant assholes just to stop it from being discussed in school. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2022, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754/131 "2022-03-07T10:08:00Z")
Indeed. Certain folks are simply slapping a “CRT” label on elements of American history they would prefer people not know about, and are using that to ban it from being taught. Strangely, many of these people are also the ones who rail about “cancel culture” and “history being erased”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/critical-race-theory-boogeyman/944754.md?page=6)