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BumRushDaShow

(157,396 posts) Thu Jul 17, 2025, 06:35 AM Jul 17

Arkansas can enforce critical race theory ban in classrooms, federal court says

Source: NBC News/AP

July 16, 2025, 7:44 PM EDT / Source: The Associated Press

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that Arkansas can enforce its ban on critical race theory in classrooms, ruling the First Amendment doesn't give students the right to compel the state to offer its instruction in public schools. A three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals vacated a preliminary injunction issued against the ban, one of several changes adopted under an education overhaul that Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed in 2023.

The prohibition is being challenged by two teachers and two students at Little Rock Central High School, site of the 1957 desegregation crisis. A federal judge had granted the injunction to the students but not the teachers.

"Just as ordinary citizens cannot require the government to express a certain viewpoint or maintain a prior message, students cannot oblige the government to maintain a particular curriculum or offer certain materials in that curriculum based on the Free Speech Clause," the judges ruled.

Attorneys for the teachers and students said they were disappointed in the ruling. "It gives us pause and concern about a steady erosion of individual rights and protections in this great country," attorney Mike Laux said in a statement. "Nonetheless, major aspects of this lawsuit remain viable, and they will proceed in due course."

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/arkansas-can-enforce-critical-race-theory-ban-classrooms-federal-court-rcna219228

Link to RULING (PDF) - https://ecf.ca8.uscourts.gov/opndir/25/07/241990P.pdf

14 replies

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Arkansas can enforce critical race theory ban in classrooms, federal court says (Original Post) BumRushDaShow Jul 17 OP

They are so good at drumming up fear/fake outrage over things that aren't happening. emulatorloo Jul 17 #1

Agree in general SickOfTheOnePct Jul 17 #2

Except lonely bird Jul 17 #3

Not quite the same circumstances SickOfTheOnePct Jul 17 #4

To be clear, it was a little more complicated than that Polybius Jul 17 #8

Fair enough, thank you! n/t SickOfTheOnePct Jul 17 #9

Interesting... lonely bird Jul 17 #10

OK SickOfTheOnePct Jul 17 #12

Oh, no problem. You are correct. lonely bird Jul 17 #13

Yes, supposed to be very narrow n/t SickOfTheOnePct Jul 17 #14

"The theory is not a fixture of K-12 education" emulatorloo Jul 17 #5

I agree 100% SickOfTheOnePct Jul 17 #6

It's the camel's nose under the tent. cbabe Jul 17 #7

Why? lonely bird Jul 17 #11

emulatorloo

(46,076 posts)

1. They are so good at drumming up fear/fake outrage over things that aren't happening.

Reply to BumRushDaShow (Original post)

Thu Jul 17, 2025, 09:11 AM

Jul 17

SickOfTheOnePct

(8,237 posts)

2. Agree in general

Reply to emulatorloo (Reply #1)

Thu Jul 17, 2025, 09:22 AM

Jul 17

But if it wasn't happening, then why did the students and teachers sue? I mean, no one sues to reinstate something that wasn't happening in the first place.

lonely bird

(2,432 posts)

3. Except

Reply to SickOfTheOnePct (Reply #2)

Thu Jul 17, 2025, 10:39 AM

Jul 17

For the cake baker and website designer cases that were brought before the SCOTUS.

SickOfTheOnePct

(8,237 posts)

4. Not quite the same circumstances

Reply to lonely bird (Reply #3)

Thu Jul 17, 2025, 10:57 AM

Jul 17

In the cake case, the baker had refused service to a same-sex couple, the Colorado commission found discrimination, and told the baker they couldn't refuse. So the case heard by SCOTUS was based on religious discrimination against the baker.

The website case is closer, in that the website designer had not actually discriminated, but she wanted to, so she went to SCOTUS to have the right to discriminate on religious grounds.

Polybius

(20,609 posts)

8. To be clear, it was a little more complicated than that

Reply to SickOfTheOnePct (Reply #4)

Thu Jul 17, 2025, 01:01 PM

Jul 17

He didn't technically "refuse service to a same-sex couple", he refused to make a specific cake with a gay theme.

Still wrong imo, just providing more details.

SickOfTheOnePct

(8,237 posts)

9. Fair enough, thank you! n/t

Reply to Polybius (Reply #8)

Thu Jul 17, 2025, 01:03 PM

Jul 17

lonely bird

(2,432 posts)

10. Interesting...

Reply to SickOfTheOnePct (Reply #4)

Thu Jul 17, 2025, 04:57 PM

Jul 17

What came up when I googled the cake case was the SCOTUS said the commission acted in an insulting and derogatory manner toward the baker. Perhaps they insulted his beliefs. The SCOTUS also allegedly said their ruling was very narrow and only applied to the behavior of the commission and was not to be interpreted as a broad permission to discriminate. Of course, the RWRNJs won’t and don’t view it in that manner.

SickOfTheOnePct

(8,237 posts)

12. OK

Reply to lonely bird (Reply #10)

Thu Jul 17, 2025, 05:18 PM

Jul 17

And none of what you said disputes what I said. I was incorrect on the idea of them refusing to do the cake, it was, as rather that they wouldn't do the specific theme that the couple wanted.

lonely bird

(2,432 posts)

13. Oh, no problem. You are correct.

Reply to SickOfTheOnePct (Reply #12)

Thu Jul 17, 2025, 05:30 PM

Jul 17

I just had discovered the basic idea that the SCOTUS put forth while trying claim it was to be read very narrowly as though the RWRNJs would adhere to that. The website designer case was completely hypothetical, iirc.

Interesting Wikipedia link…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masterpiece_Cakeshop_v._Colorado_Civil_Rights_Commission

SickOfTheOnePct

(8,237 posts)

14. Yes, supposed to be very narrow n/t

Reply to lonely bird (Reply #13)

Thu Jul 17, 2025, 05:31 PM

Jul 17

emulatorloo

(46,076 posts)

5. "The theory is not a fixture of K-12 education"

Reply to SickOfTheOnePct (Reply #2)

Thu Jul 17, 2025, 11:20 AM

Jul 17

From the article:

Critical race theory is an academic framework dating to the 1970s that centers on the idea that racism is embedded in the nation's institution. The theory is not a fixture of K-12 education, and Arkansas' ban does not define what constitutes critical race theory.