North Dakota Bans Critical Race Theory From Public Schools

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, a Republican, last week signed into law a bill that bans public schools from addressing critical race theory, joining the states of Texas, Arizona, Georgia and Florida in banning the topic from public schools, according to the Washington Examiner.

''A school district or public school may not include instruction relating to critical race theory in any portion of the district's required curriculum,'' the bill states, going on to define critical race theory as ''the theory that racism is not merely the product of learned individual bias or prejudice, but that racism is systemically embedded in American society and the American legal system to facilitate racial inequality.''

Newsweek notes that there is no evidence of critical race theory being taught in any school in North Dakota.

"The bill is more preemptive to try to make sure that it doesn't come to our schools," North Dakota state Sen. Donald Schaible, a Republican, said last Friday, according to Inforum.

The American Civil Liberties Union of North Dakota condemned the legislation as censorship.

The bill "is a direct affront to the constitutional rights of teachers and students across North Dakota by restricting conversations around race in our schools," said Libby Skarin, ACLU campaigns director for North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming, in a statement, according to Fox News. "This bill is intended to inflame a political reaction, not further a legitimate educational interest."

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