House lawmakers are advancing HB 4011, the so-called Anti-Stereotyping Act. The bill might look harmless to some, but it’s little more than censorship. It’s also a handy election year dog whistle, tailor-made for a fringe base hellbent on keeping young people from discussing or learning about inequality.
The bill requires public schools to post all training materials for teachers and instructional materials for students relating to “nondiscrimination, diversity, equity, inclusion, race, ethnicity, sex, or bias.” What could be wrong with more transparency, right?
Across the country, otherwise-routine school board meetings have been erupting into chaos lately as outraged parents fill the meeting room to call school board members and educators names and threaten their safety. Their outrage stems from, among other things, mask requirements, misinformation they have been fed about vaccines, and the hysteria over “Critical Race Theory,” an advanced curriculum that is not even taught in K-12 schools.
Against this backdrop, there is every reason to worry HB 4011 would result in threats against educators or worse because teachers will also have to post their names with any diversity materials they produce.
Read more at the Charleston Gazette-Mail here.