A Young Woman’s Journey from Indoctrinated Liberal to True Independent

The bill prohibits teaching or using instructional materials at public schools that promote discrimination.

The bill prohibits public schools from certain discriminatory practices based on a student’s, student’s family, or teacher’s race or ethnicity.

The bill creates a $25,000 fine to be paid by the school district of the public school, or by the state charter school institute in the case of an institute charter school, to the state education fund if the commissioner of education finds that a public school knowingly violates a prohibition.

The bill waives sovereign immunity and creates a civil action against a public school and the school district or board of cooperative services or the state charter school institute that violates a prohibition.

HB22-1206, Prohibit Discriminatory Practices in Schools is sponsored by Republican State Representative Dave Williams. The bill’s stated goal to prohibit the teaching or dissemination of materials that promote discrimination is enforced through a hefty $25,000 fine. Is the fine appropriate? And if so, who defines discrimination? The bill seems well-intentioned, but perhaps not the right solution to the problem it seeks to solve.