Proposed Resolution To Ban CRT – Sylvania City Schools

Proposed Resolution regarding the teaching of Critical Race Theory and its derivatives in the Sylvania City School District

June 24, 2021

I. Preamble.

The purpose of this Resolution is to:

A. Prohibit the teaching and promotion of Critical Race Theory in the Sylvania City School District;

B. Prohibit the teaching and promotion of divisive concepts in the Sylvania City School District;

C. Prohibit the teaching of other forms of government-sanctioned or government-facilitated racism in the Sylvania City School District;

D. Uphold the foundational American principle that all people are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

II. Definitions.

A. “Critical Race Theory” means any theory or ideology that:

1. Derives or otherwise traces its origins or influences from, or pertinently overlaps with, the “Critical Theory” social philosophy espoused by the Frankfurt School;

2. Teaches or espouses that social problems are created by racist or patriarchal societal structures and systems;

3. Teaches or espouses the view that one race is inherently racist, sexist, or intentionally or inadvertently oppressive;

4. Teaches or espouses the view that one race is inherently responsible for the intentional or inadvertent oppression of another race;

5. Teaches or espouses the view that one race or sex is superior to another race or sex;

6. Teaches or espouses the view that a person should be discriminated against because of the race or sex attributed to them or be treated differently based on that

classification;

7. Teaches or espouses the view that a person’s moral character is determined by the race or sex attributed to them;

8. Teaches or espouses the view that the race or sex attributed to a person makes them responsible for past transgressions of that race or sex;

9. Teaches or espouses the view that a person would feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological, physical, or any other kind of distress on account of the race or sex attributed to them; and

10. Teaches or espouses the view that work ethic or devotion to duty and obligations is inherently racist or sexist.

B. “Divisive Concepts” mean any concept that teaches or espouses the view that:

1. One sex, race, ethnicity, color, or national origin is inherently superior to any other sex, race, ethnicity, color, or national origin;

2. The United States is fundamentally or systemically racist or sexist;

3. An individual, by virtue of the sex, race, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin attributed to them is inherently racist, sexist, or otherwise prejudiced or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously;

4. An individual should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment solely or partly because of the sex, race, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin attributed to them;

5. An individual’s moral character is necessarily determined by the sex, race, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin attributed to them;

6. An individual, by virtue of the sex, race, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin attributed to them, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same (or any other) sex, race, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin;

7. Any individual should be targeted and made to feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress due to the sex, race, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin attributed to them;

8. Meritocracy or traits such as a work ethic or devotion to duty and obligations are racist or sexist, or were created or recognized by a particular race to oppress

another race; or

9. The term “divisive concept” includes any other form of race or sex stereotyping or any other form of race or sex scapegoating;

(a) “Race or sex stereotyping” means ascribing character traits, values, moral and ethical codes, privileges, status, or beliefs to a race or sex, or to an individual because of his or her race or sex;

(b) “Race or sex scapegoating” encompasses any claim that, consciously or unconsciously, and by virtue of his or her race or sex, members of any race are inherently racist or are inherently inclined to oppress others, or that members of a sex are inherently sexist or inclined to oppress others.

C. “Government-sanctioned or Government-facilitated racism” means any concept, theory, ideology, action, omission, custom, policy or practice enacted by elected officials or taxpayer- funded entities that:

1. Supports, promotes, or affirms the adverse treatment of an individual by virtue of the race attributed to them;

2. Results in the affirmation, adoption, or adherence to viewpoints that treat individuals adversely by virtue of the race attributed to them;

3. Reinforces, supports, or affirms the historical and/or racist ideas promoted by the 1619 Project and likeminded endeavors and organizations or otherwise derives or can trace its origins to the essays, curricula, and writings of the 1619 Project and similar endeavors.

III. Resolution.

Now, therefore, this Sylvania City School District Board of Education resolves:

1. The above-stated Preamble and Definition are expressly incorporated as if fully set forth herein.

2. The tenets outlined above, often found in Critical Race Theory, undermine a free society and sound education and otherwise exacerbate and inflame divisions on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, religion, color, national origin, or other criteria in ways contrary to the unity of the nation, the founding principles of the nation, and the well-being of the citizens and residents within the Sylvania City School District.

3. No school within the Sylvania City School District shall direct or otherwise

compel students to personally affirm, adopt, or adhere to any of the following tenets:

(a) That any sex, race, ethnicity, color, or national origin is inherently superior or inferior;

(b) That individuals should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment solely or partly because of the sex, race, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin attributed to them;

(c) That an individual, by virtue of the sex, race, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin attributed to them, are inherently responsible for actions committed in the past by other members of the same (or any other) sex, race, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin;

(d) That an individual, by virtue of the sex, race, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin attributed to them is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously;

(e) That an individual’s moral character is necessarily determined by the sex, race, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin attributed to them;

(f) That an individual should be targeted and made to feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological, physical, or any other kind(s) of distress due to the sex, race, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin attributed to them;

(g) That meritocracy or traits such as a hard work ethic are racist or sexist, or were created by a particular race to oppress another race; or

(h) That the United States is fundamentally or systemically racist or sexist;

4. No distinction among or classification of students shall be made on account of race, color, or national origin.

5. No course of instruction, unit of study, or any other curricular or extracurricular offerings directing, facilitating, enabling, permitting, sponsoring, supporting or otherwise compelling students to personally affirm, adopt, or adhere to any of the tenets identified above shall be used or introduced in any school within the jurisdiction of the Sylvania City School District. Nor shall students, directly or indirectly, be encouraged or incentivized in any manner to do so.

6. All training programs for school district employees relating to diversity, equity, or inclusion must adhere to the provisions outlined herein and shall, before being used, be reviewed by the Sylvania City School District Board of Education. This review shall also be available for discussion in a public format to provide parents, guardians, and residents with a meaningful opportunity to participate, review, and provide input on any proposed guidelines relating to diversity, equity, or inclusion

training for school district employees.

7. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, this Resolution does not prohibit schools, or entities under the jurisdiction of the Board of Education, from including, as part of a course of instruction or in a curriculum or instructional program, or from allowing teachers or other employees to use supplemental instructional materials that include:

(a) The history of an ethnic group, as described in textbooks and instructional materials adopted in accordance with approved curriculum;

(b) The discussion of otherwise controversial aspects of history, only if done so without violating the provisions outlined in section (2)(B) and only if done so by presenting, from a holistic point of view, a complete, neutral, and unbiased perspective of the subject matter or prism;

(c) The instruction on the historical oppression of a particular group of people based on race, ethnicity, class, nationality, religion, or geographic region; or

(d) Primary source documents relevant to such a discussion if otherwise approved for use in curriculum or trainings, and otherwise comports with the provisions of above sections.

8. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the provisions outlined herein shall also be applied to all employees at any school within the Sylvania City School District (“Covered School”)

9. A Covered School shall not teach, instruct, or train any employee, contractor, staff member, administrator, supervisor, assistant, part-time employee, parent volunteer, or any other individual or group, to adopt, support, or promote Critical Race Theory, Divisive Concepts, or Government-Sanctioned or Government-Facilitated Racism.

10. No employee of the Board of Education shall face any direct or indirect adverse consequences, penalty or discrimination on account of his or her refusal to support, believe, endorse, embrace, confess, act upon, or otherwise assent to Critical Race Theory, Divisive Concepts, or Government-Sanctioned or Government-Facilitated Racism.

11. The fair and equal treatment of individuals is an inviolable principle that must be maintained in the state workplace.

12. The administrative head of each Covered School shall use his or her

authority to ensure that the employees during work hours, and any contractors hired to provide training, workshops, forums, or similar programming, do not teach, advocate, act upon, or promote in any training to school employees Critical Race Theory, Divisive Concepts, or Government-Sanctioned or Government-Facilitated Racism.

13. No funds shall be expended by the Board of Education, or any entity under the Board of Education’s jurisdiction, for any prohibited purpose established herein.

14. Along with the Board of Education, the principal of each Covered School must enforce those provisions. The principal may delegate some aspects of the responsibility of that enforcement so long as that principal remains active in the enforcement process. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, whenever a complaint concerning the potential violation of the provisions herein is made or the principal has any cause to suspect that a violation has occurred, is occurring, or may occur, the principal must immediately notify the Board of Education in writing (but in no event later than 7 calendar days). The Board of Education then shall have thirty (30) calendar days to complete an assessment of the Covered School or the alleged violation and make it publicly available to residents within the school district.

15. If a Covered School violates the provisions herein, the Board of Education, notwithstanding any other provision of state or federal law, shall sanction the school by providing public notice to residents within thirty (30) calendar days, enacting a prohibition on participation in athletic competition, or otherwise bar the Covered School from any participation in local or state academic or athletic activities for a period up to thirty (30) days.

16. If a Covered School employee violates the provisions herein, the Board of Education, notwithstanding any other provision of state or federal law, shall require the school administrator to sanction the employee as follows:

(a) Upon first offense, the employee shall be placed on thirty (30) days of administrative leave without pay.

(b) Upon second offense, the employee shall be terminated; and the school shall issue a public statement reiterating its commitment to upholding the fundamental American idea that all individuals are created equal and endowed by their Creator with unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

17. If a contractor provides a training for school employees relating to diversity, equity, or inclusion that teaches, advocates, or promotes Critical Race Theory, Divisive Concepts, or Government-Sanctioned or Government-Facilitated

Racism, and such action is in violation of the applicable contract, the school entity that contracted for such training shall evaluate within thirty (30) calendar days whether to pursue cancellation of the contract and permanent debarment of that contractor, consistent with applicable law and regulations.

18. If a contractor is found to be in violation of the applicable contract through the teaching or promotion of Critical Race Theory, Divisive Concepts, or Government-Sanctioned or Government-Facilitated Racism, then the contractor shall be debarred with public notice provided within seven (7) calendar days of the debarment of that contractor.

19. If a Board of Education member violates the provisions herein or otherwise lends material or any other tangible or intangible support, aid, assistance or encouragement to Critical Race Theory, Divisive Concepts, or Government-Sanctioned or Government-Facilitated Racism, the Board of Education, notwithstanding any other provision of state or federal law, shall notify the public within seven (7) calendar days and provide notice of a public forum to be held no later than 30 calendar days after notification, which public forum shall be used to formally consider removal of the Board of Education member through a special election consistent with state and local election law and must provide parents, guardians, and residents with a meaningful opportunity to participate, review, and provide input on the consideration of removal of the Board of Education member.

20. Additional terms and concepts that either wholly violate the above Resolution provisions, or which may, if taught through the framework of any of the prohibited activities defined above, partially violate the above clauses in what is otherwise broadly defined as “Critical Race Theory” are, in no particular order and not to be construed as exclusive of other prohibited concepts:

• Critical Race Theory

• Action Civics

• Social Emotional Learning;

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

• Culturally responsive teaching

• Abolitionist teaching

• Anti-racism

• Anti-bias training

• Anti-blackness

• Anti-meritocracy

• Obtuse meritocracy

• Centering or de-centering

• Collective guilt

• Colorism

• Conscious and unconscious bias

• Critical ethnic studies

• Critical pedagogy

• Critical self-awareness

• Critical self-reflection

• Cultural appropriation/misappropriation

• Cultural awareness

• Cultural competence

• Cultural proficiency

• Cultural relevance

• Cultural responsiveness

• Culturally responsive practices

• De-centering whiteness

• Deconstruct knowledge

• Diversity focused

• Diversity training

• Dominant discourse

• Educational justice

• Equitable

• Equity

• Examine “systems”

• Free radical therapy

• Free radical self/collective care

• Hegemony

• Identity deconstruction

• Implicit/Explicit bias

• Inclusivity education

• Institutional bias

• Institutional oppression

• Internalized racial superiority

• Internalized racism

• Internalized white supremacy

• Interrupting racism

• Intersection

• Intersectionality

• Intersectional identities

• Intersectional studies

• Land acknowledgment

• Marginalized identities

• Marginalized/Minoritized/Under-represented communities

• Microaggressions

• Multiculturalism

• Neo-segregation

• Normativity

• Oppressor vs. oppressed

• Patriarchy

• Protect vulnerable identities

• Race essentialism

• Racial healing

• Racialized identity

• Racial justice

• Racial prejudice

• Racial sensitivity training

• Racial supremacy

• Reflective exercises

• Representation and inclusion

• Restorative justice

• Restorative practices

• Social justice

• Spirit murdering

• Structural bias

• Structural inequity

• Structural racism

• Systemic bias

• Systemic oppression

• Systemic racism

• Systems of power and oppression

• Unconscious bias

• White fragility

• White privilege

• White social capital

• White supremacy

• Whiteness

• Woke

21. The usage of sex or other related classifications mentioned in this Resolution shall not be construed as an endorsement of deviations from biological sex. These classifications are intended to prevent, and shall have the effect of preventing, anyone from using any manner of fluidity or impermanence regarding sex to circumvent the purpose and objective of this enactment.

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