A Michigan mother filed a lawsuit against her local school district after it failed to comply with a Freedom of Information Act request seeking access to curriculum materials tied to critical race theory.
The Mackinac Center filed a lawsuit on behalf of Carol Beth Litkouhi, a mother from the Rochester Community School District in Michigan who had attempted to review curriculum materials for a course taught in district schools via a FOIA request. The district had denied her request, along with another seeking access to the district’s diversity, equity, and inclusion training materials.
“Parents have a right to know what is being taught to our children,” Litkouhi said in a press release. “It is incredibly disappointing that the district continues to refuse to be transparent and has stonewalled my efforts to learn more about what is being taught in the classroom. Michigan parents deserve better.”
The materials Litkouhi sought were for a class titled “History of Ethnic and Gender Studies.” Ethnic studies classes and diversity, equity, and inclusion training programs are sometimes known to contain aspects of critical race theory, which claims U.S. institutions and culture are systemically racist and oppressive to racial minorities.
The presence of critical race theory in public schools has drawn substantial controversy nationwide as parent activists have expressed outrage over its inclusion in school curricula.
Litkouhi first filed the FOIA requests against the Rochester Community School District in December and had included a $400 deposit requested by the district to view the materials. But within a month, the district denied both requests and, after Litkouhi appealed, claimed the materials did not exist.
“The District failed to address any specific argument raised in Plaintiff’s appeal, including the fact that the District’s position would inherently mean that no classroom materials had been produced in a course that had been actively taught for over six months,” the lawsuit said.
Steve Delie, the director of open government and transparency at the Mackinac Center, noted that the district’s refusal to produce the materials violated Michigan law.
“Schools must make curricula available to parents under Michigan law,” he said. “Despite this, Rochester schools has repeatedly failed to fulfill this legal obligation. It shouldn’t take months of back and forth, hundreds of dollars, and a lawsuit just to see what is being taught in your community.”
In a statement to the Washington Examiner, the Rochester Community School District said it was “restrained” from commenting on litigation.
“The RCS community consistently supports the district’s commitment to the social-emotional wellness of its students,” the district said. “This includes helping students, their families and the community have a greater understanding and appreciation for the different cultures, languages, and ways of interacting in our community.”
