A whopping total of 14 states and four organizations recently signed two separate Amicus briefs to support the Southeastern Legal Foundation (SLF) in their push for an En Banc Petition to support their plaintiff’s right to free speech in the Henderson v. Springfield Public Schools Case. The case argues against compelled speech in the context of Critical Race Theory and other “anti-racism” training in public schools that go against an individual’s personal beliefs.
The newest Amicus Brief was signed by the Attorneys General of Missouri, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia. The other brief was signed by the Goldwater Institute, Kansas Policy Institute, Mississippi Justice Institute, and the Show Me Institute.
SLF’s en banc petition works to ensure that their lawsuit is heard by all judges on a panel, and the group believes this case is vital to protecting the free speech of American teachers. No teacher should be forced to say things they don’t agree with in their place of work. Beyond that, no teacher should be actively discriminated against by faculty and students for refusing to ascribe to these Critical Race Theory public school trainings.
Excerpts from Amicus Brief:
“Rather than conduct a run-of-the-mill employee training, the record includes evidence that respondent school district told teachers and staff that they were required to adopt, affirm, and advocate highly controversial viewpoints both at school and in all other aspects of their lives. And to compel compliance, the school district threatened to dock pay and brand employees as bigots.”
“No single term encompasses all of it, but it has been labeled “Critical Race Theory,” “antiracism,” and “diversity, equity, and inclusion.” Thinkers under these banners have advocated against Dr. King’s vision—indeed, against the idea of neutrality in the law at all…One institution in our country, however, largely continues to reject the suggestion that one group of people should be treated worse than others based on the color of their skin: the American legal system.”
“From start to finish, SPS engaged in an unconstitutional pressure campaign to induce teachers and employees to advocate favored political views. Throughout the process of mandatory “Equity Training,” SPS instructed Lumley and Henderson that they “must commit to” its views on “equity” and “anti-racism.” Teachers and employees had to commit to becoming “champions” of “anti-racism,” which was defined as “advocating for changes in political, economic, and social life”—that is, all aspects of a person’s life, not just her time at work. And critically, SPS made it clear that no one could “champion” these ideas quietly. “Silence,” the school district said, was tantamount to “white supremacy.”
Read here for more about the lawsuit to stop compelled speech.