Virginia parents in Franklin County raised concerns Monday about critical race theory, with one parent calling it “perverse” and “anything but inclusive.”
The meeting, which also addressed the district’s policies around transgender students, reportedly began at 7 p.m. and ran until midnight due to at least 100 people showing up to either listen or speak.
A majority of residents were in attendance to oppose the ideas of critical race theory, which maintains that racism is systemic within institutions in the United States.
Everyone wants equity and inclusion, but critical race theory “is anything but inclusive,” said Dawn McCray, a parent who is reportedly running for a seat on the school board in 2022.
Critical race theory disguises itself using language such as equity, diversity, and inclusion, said McCray, adding that it is “perverse ideology rooted in Marxism that teaches identity politics.”
“In other words, if you’re white, you’re guilty, and if you’re black, you’re a victim,” one man said about critical race theory during the meeting.
A former high school senior who was at the meeting, Aster Macy, said he has never seen critical race theory being taught in schools.
“I’ve never been called an oppressive for being white. To me, it’s always been about being united and how can play a role,” he said.
Meeting attendees raised concerns about Virginia’s transgender policy that all districts must implement under state law by the fall semester, which mandates that transgender students won’t be questioned about their identity in the classroom, bathroom, locker room, or extracurricular activities.
“There was a reason that separated bathrooms and locker rooms were created for higher elementary to high school-aged students to begin with,” said another woman at the meeting.
Concerns over the school’s transgender policy were countered by several students who identify as transgender speaking about the need for the policies in the district.
The school board did not need to pass a stand-alone transgender policy, it said, noting that the existing policy already covers identity protections for those who identify as a gender that is different from their biological sex.
“We’re just trying to do the best we can to take care of our children. I know that’s what we as a board want — it’s what the public wants. We’re all working toward the same goal. We may just have different ways to get there,” said Julie Nix, the chairwoman of the Franklin County School Board.
The board’s members are waiting to hear back from the state regarding questions about the difference between the district’s equity requirements and the fundamentals of critical race theory. An answer regarding their question would be returned to the board by 2022, they said.
Franklin County Public Schools is slated to hold another school board meeting July 26.
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The Washington Examiner contacted Nix but did not immediately receive a response.
