Virginia County Board Votes to Denounce Teaching of Critical Race Theory

A Virginia county board of supervisors this week voted on a resolution to denounce the teaching of critical race theory in county schools and to condemn requiring that students provide their preferred pronouns, local ABC affiliate 7News reports.

The Stafford County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously, with one member not present, on Tuesday to pass the resolution, and also said that they may withhold any money the school system spends on teaching critical race theory or requiring students to provide their preferred pronouns. The resolution also denounces the teaching of The 1619 Project.

The resolution reads: "Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Stafford County Board of Supervisors on this the 21st day of September, 2021, that it be and hereby does denounce the teaching of the 1619 Project and critical race theory (CRT) and related principles in Stafford County Public Schools; and be it further resolved that the Board does not support students of Stafford County Public Schools being requested to identify their chosen pronouns."

Although the acting superintendent of schools in the county has said in the past that critical race theory is not being taught in county schools, and that students are not being required to give their preferred pronouns, some claim that students have reported both happening in their classrooms.

"Stafford County Public Schools does not teach, nor do we promote, the philosophy of Critical Race Theory (CRT) in any of our schools," reads a statement. "The Stafford County Public Schools K12 History and Social Science Program is based on the Virginia Standards of Learning and the accompanying History and Social Science Curriculum Framework."

Local resident Pat Brown, who opposes the teaching of critical race theory, told 7News that "the sad reality of this theory is that it creates a culture of revenge for sins of the past."

A member of the Stafford County NAACP, James Minor, told the board before the vote, "I encourage you to vote no on this resolution. I did not know that the board of supervisors was becoming the board of education."

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