Arkansas School Districts Respond to Allegations of Violating State’s Ban on Certain Teaching Topics
In recent news, the Pulaski County and Lakeside school districts in Arkansas are pushing back against claims that they violated the state’s ban on teaching specific subjects related to race and sexuality. These districts are making it clear that some of the incidents listed in a document circulated by the Arkansas Department of Education either didn’t happen or do not go against state laws.
Lakeside Superintendent Bruce Orr stated in an interview that he met with State Education Secretary Jacob Oliva, who confirmed that the issues attributed to Lakeside did not break the law. Orr explained, “He told me, ‘You do not have any indoctrination violations,’ because that was my first question that I asked him. I know what I heard, and I am 100% positive about that.” However, the Department’s spokesperson, Kimberly Mundell, denied offering such confirmation.
On the other hand, Pulaski County school district spokesperson Jessica Duff refuted the claim that elementary schools in their district displayed messages related to LGBT Pride month, as suggested in the list. Mundell noted that the document “reflects examples from around the state that were submitted to the department,” without addressing the accuracy of the listed incidents.
Both districts are adamant that their actions are in line with Arkansas’ teaching guidelines. A picture in the document, allegedly from a Lakeside classroom, was taken years before the ban was enacted, making it legal by current standards. Lakeside also clarified that a second image titled “Sex, Gender & Society” was never used in their schools.
Regarding Pulaski County, Jessica Duff reaffirmed that elementary schools did not display LGBT Pride month messages as claimed. The document also asserted that Pulaski County permitted teachers to “hang divisive materials in their classrooms, including the pride flag.” According to Duff, these flags were hung in classrooms before the school year commenced, and the district and schools made a social media post affirming gay pride month.
These controversies revolve around a law signed in March by the state’s governor, which prohibits teaching on “divisive concepts” related to racism and critical race theory, as well as classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation before fifth grade. This law is similar to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law and reflects a broader conservative pushback against the content taught in schools nationwide.
In addition to the Pulaski County and Lakeside school districts, the list in question criticized other educational institutions, including Arkansas State University and the North Little Rock school district, for issues related to teacher training and discussions on racial bias. It also included the Fayetteville school district for surveying students about their gender identity and asking teachers to self-reflect on their white racial identity. Fayetteville district spokesperson Alan Wilbourn maintained that the latter was intended for self-reflection and declined further comment.
These recent developments shed light on the ongoing debate surrounding the content taught in schools and how state laws are interpreted in these matters.