When the law went into effect in July, according to the lawsuit, its vague terms left many educators to err on the side of caution, striking Black and female authors from their reading lists “while leaving in place texts by White and male authors,” the lawsuit said.
“Teachers have received guidance to comply with H.B. 1775 by avoiding terms such as ‘diversity’ and ‘white privilege,’ while administrators have simultaneously acknowledged that ‘no one truly knows what (the Act) means or can come to agreement on its meaning,'” the lawsuit says.
State Rep. Kevin West, who authored HB 1775, told CNN the complaint is “full of half-truths” and “blatant lies.”
“It is unfortunate, but not surprising, to see radical leftist organizations supporting the racist indoctrination of our children that HB 1775 was written to stop. The law ensures that all history is taught in schools without shaming the children of today into blaming themselves for problems of the past, as radical leftists would prefer,” West said in a statement.
The bill has impacted students’ ability to exchange ideas, engage in discussions and study history, the lawsuit argues.
“All young people deserve to learn an inclusive and accurate history in schools, free from censorship or discrimination,” said Emerson Sykes, staff attorney with the ACLU Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project. “The bill was intended to inflame a political reaction, not further a legitimate educational interest.”
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