The superintendent of Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS), where two people were arrested while protesting Critical Race Theory (CRT), sent an email to school staff the following day that said opponents of the school board are “pushing false stories” about CRT.
The email, obtained by the Daily Caller, was sent by Superintendent Scott A. Ziegler to LCPS staff after two people were arrested during a Tuesday school board meeting on charges including disorderly conduct or trespassing, according to WJLA. The second man was released on the scene and issued a summons. (RELATED: Concerned Parents Protesting CRT Arrested After Virginia School Board Meeting Declared Unlawful Assembly)
Two arrests made at the Loudoun County, Virginia school board meeting after it was declared an unlawful assembly and some parents here to protest against critical race theory and a transgender policy refused to leave right away #CriticalRaceTheory pic.twitter.com/dsZDrqJ0Gp
— Gabriella Borter (@gabriellaborter) June 22, 2021
“By now, you have probably seen some of the media coverage of last night’s School Board meeting,” the email begins.
“More than 250 citizens registered to participate in public comment, and many more attended. The purpose of public comment is for the public to have the opportunity to speak directly to the School Board on issues that concern them. When loud public demonstrations violated the decorum of the meeting and prevented a respectful environment, the Loudoun County School Board voted unanimously to end the public comment portion of the meeting,” Ziegler continues.
The public comment section of the meeting was focused on a new district policy regarding restroom accommodations and the use of pronouns for transgender students. Although CRT was not scheduled as a discussion topic, many parents and community members protested the curriculum.
Parents protesting against critical race theory broke into the national anthem when the Loudoun Co., Virginia school board ended public comment because the crowd got too out of hand pic.twitter.com/qms00grIIj
— Gabriella Borter (@gabriellaborter) June 22, 2021
Ziegler then goes on to quote school board Chair Brenda L. Sheridan, who said that “progressive” board members have received “hateful messages and violent threats,” and parents who support the board are “afraid to speak up.”
“I support differing opinions and spirited debates,” Ziegler quotes Sheridan as saying. “I want us all to have productive discussions about making our schools the best they can be.”
“But opponents of the School Board who are pushing false stories about ‘critical race theory’ have severely hurt our ability to do the jobs we were elected to do.”
Ziegler then quotes Sheridan, who denies that CRT is being taught in the school district:
Tonight, the Loudoun County School Board meeting was interrupted by those who wish to use the public comment period to disrupt our work and disrespect each other. Dog-whistle politics will not delay our work. We will not back down from fighting for the rights of our students and continuing our focus on equity. We will continue to work towards making Virginia, specifically Loudoun, the best place to raise a family. We will continue to move Virginia forward. We will continue to celebrate our dedicated educators and great public school curriculums – and despite what the fear-mongering media tells you – no Critical Race Theory is not being taught in our schools, period.
“These politically motivated antics ought to end. But if they don’t, know that they won’t delay our work,” Sheridan’s quote concludes.
Wayde B. Byard, LCPS’s public information officer, confirmed to the Daily Caller that the message was sent to all district staff on Wednesday afternoon, and added that the arrests at the school board meeting were “not the impetus” for the message.
CRT holds that America is fundamentally racist, yet it teaches people to view every social interaction and person in terms of race. Its adherents pursue “antiracism” through the end of merit, objective truth and the adoption of race-based policies.
The debate over CRT at LCPS has been contentious and included evidence that CRT is being used in schools despite denials, with some officials calling for the firing of teachers who opposed it.
As parents and community members have taken their concerns to school boards in hopes of preventing CRT from being introduced to students, states such as Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas have passed bills targeting CRT.