A federal appeals court issued a ruling allowing Arkansas to enforce its ban on teaching critical race theory (CRT) in public school classrooms.
The decision, which was issued on Wednesday, overturned a previous preliminary injunction that had temporarily blocked the law’s implementation.
The ban has been challenged by students and teachers who argue it violates their rights.
A three-judge panel rejected claims that the state’s restriction infringes on the First Amendment rights of students.
“Since the Free Speech Clause does not give the students the right to compel the government to say something it does not wish to, they cannot show a likelihood of success,” the judges wrote.
The ruling clarified that neither citizens nor students can demand the government maintain a particular curriculum or endorse a specific message, according to Just the News.
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin praised the court’s decision, emphasizing the importance of local control over education.
“With its ruling today, the 8th Circuit continues to ensure that the responsibility of setting curriculum is in the hands of democratically elected officials who, by nature, are responsive to voters,” Griffin said.
His office has stood behind the state’s authority to regulate public education, framing the matter as one of local governance, the Associated Press reports.
The legal dispute began after Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed an education reform package in 2023 that included the controversial CRT ban.
While the law prohibits certain teachings related to critical race theory, it does not clearly define what constitutes CRT.
The theory, which emerged in the 1970s, posits that racism is woven into American institutions and legal systems, according to The Hill.
The challenge to the ban was filed by two students and two teachers from Little Rock Central High School, a location historically significant for its role in the 1957 desegregation crisis.
Initially, a federal judge granted an injunction in favor of the students, but the appeals court’s recent decision reversed that ruling.
Mike Laux, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, expressed disappointment with the outcome but noted the case would continue.
“It gives us pause and concern about a steady erosion of individual rights and protections in this great country,” Laux stated, per the AP. “Nonetheless, major aspects of this lawsuit remain viable, and they will proceed in due course.”
The judges acknowledged the students’ concerns regarding government discretion over school curricula but stressed the limits of judicial intervention.
“But the Constitution does not give courts the power to block government action based on mere policy disagreements,” the court wrote.
Arkansas joins several other Republican-led states enacting similar restrictions aimed at limiting how race-related topics are taught in schools.
This trend reflects a broader political push to challenge what some conservatives describe as indoctrination in education.
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump directed federal agencies to withhold funds from K-12 schools that promote “radical gender ideology and critical race theory.”
Sanders, who served as Trump’s press secretary during his first term, praised the ruling on social media.
She described it as a “Big win for common sense, education freedom — and parents who just want our schools to teach kids how to think, not what to think.”
While the court’s ruling represents a victory for Arkansas and similar states, ongoing legal battles indicate that the debate over race education and curricular control will continue.
The post Federal Appeals Court Clears Arkansas to Enforce Ban on Critical Race Theory in Schools appeared first on Resist the Mainstream.
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Author: Gloriel Howard
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