As Long As Education Is Compulsory, Indoctrination Must Not Be

Imagine sitting in a classroom and being told that you don’t belong in a big house, can only be expected to communicate non-verbally and emotionally, or are responsible for the racial supremacy that teachers say oppresses your classmates, simply because of your skin tone. This is what middle-school students from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds learn in Albemarle County, Virginia.

After parents from five families heard their children’s distress and confusion, they raised concerns with school officials only to learn that they could not opt out of the indoctrination. Faced with sending their children into an environment that subjects them to hostility on the basis of their race, religion, and other characteristics, these parents took steps to protect their kids. They sued the school to stop the school from subjecting their children and others to these harms.