Critical race theory Coverage

NC agency settles with teacher who was fired for opposing critical race theory

David Phillips sued the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, claiming the Governor's School wrongfully fired him for expressing his opinions in a series of seminars that received negative feedback from students and fellow teachers.

By Will Doran, WRAL state government reporter

Editorial: Political expediency gets legislative win over common sense

Tuesday, March 28, 2023 -- Anyone who might still wonder if the North Carolina General Assembly has abandoned common sense and consistency to reflexive political expedience need only look at two pieces of legislation the state House of Representatives passed last week for proof.

NC Republicans pass anti-CRT bill to limit how schools teach race, American history

Democrats say an anti-CRT bill at the North Carolina legislature would even ban teachers from telling students whether slavery was good or bad. Republicans say concepts like white privilege and systemic racism are inappropriate for teachers to mention.

Will Doran, WRAL state government reporter

Bill limiting discussions of racism, privilege, in NC classrooms moving forward

The bill seeks to limit teaching about systemic racism and white privilege in North Carolina classrooms by laying out a number of topics teachers can technically broach, but in the bill's words can't "promote."

Travis Fain, WRAL state government reporter

NC lawmakers debate bill to ban critical race theory

A bill to ban North Carolina schools from teaching about systemic racism or white privilege is headed for a vote on the state House floor after passing a key committee along party lines Tuesday. Republican state lawmakers passed a similar bill in 2021, but it was vetoed by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.

NC House committee debates bill that would ban schools from teaching about systemic racism or white privilege

A bill that would ban North Carolina schools from teaching about systemic racism or white privilege was scheduled to be heard Tuesday in the state House Education committee.

Bill limiting how race is taught in K-12 schools advances in NC House

A bill to ban North Carolina schools from teaching about systemic racism or white privilege is headed for a vote on the state House floor after passing a key committee along party lines Tuesday. Republican state lawmakers passed a similar bill in 2021, but it was vetoed by Democratic Governor Roy Cooper.

Laura Leslie, WRAL capitol bureau chief

GOP lawmakers bring bill to dictate how race is taught

A new bill in the North Carolina House of Representatives would ban schools from promoting racism in the classroom, and would also ban them from teaching that systemic racism exists.

New session of North Carolina legislature could bring more culture war issues

A shift in the balance of power plus high turnover at the state legislature will likely mean a different mix of bills on the agenda as the 2023 legislative session gets underway this month.

Slimmer margins, new faces likely to affect NC lawmakers' 2023 agenda

A shift in the balance of power plus high turnover at the state legislature will likely mean a different mix of bills on the agenda as the 2023 legislative session gets underway this month.

Laura Leslie, WRAL Capitol Bureau Chief

School-choice PAC floods NC airwaves in heated US Senate GOP primary

School Freedom Fund, a political action committee aligned with Club for Growth Action, has spent more than $1.3 million attacking former Gov. Pat McCrory ahead of the May 17 election.

Bryan Anderson, WRAL state government reporter

Fact check: Did Ketanji Brown Jackson say judges should consider CRT while on the bench?

In a Fox News interview, Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn claimed that Ketanji Brown Jackson said judges should use critical race theory in making their decisions on the bench. PolitiFact checks Blackburn's claim.

Tom Kertscher, PolitiFact reporter

Durham virtual conference to discuss critical race theory in schools

Critical Race Theory and systemic racism are two topics that spark widespread debate among schools and parents. The Let's Talk About Racism Conference tonight hopes to educate the public about these polarizing issues.

Editorial: Address challenging subjects and materials in schools rationally, not emotionally

Tuesday, March 15, 2022 -- All the emotional and political fireworks aside, with what we've seen and heard, there is a need to more closely examine how sensitive issues of race, gender and human sexuality are handled in public schools.

DRAUGHON DRAWS: Where history's being made today

Friday, Oct. 15, 2021 -- Capitol Broadcasting Company's editorial cartoonist.

Fact check: Did the AG tell the FBI to 'go after' parents who speak out at school board meetings?

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, a Florida Republican, said "Joe Biden's attorney general wants the FBI to go after parents for speaking out at school board meetings to protect kids from radical curriculum like critical race theory." PolitiFact checks that claim.

Jon Greenberg, PolitiFact reporter

Johnston commissioner slams decision to tie school funding to critical race theory ban

A longtime member of the Johnston County Board of Commissioners called out the board Wednesday for withholding funding from the county school system until it put limits on how history is taught in local classrooms.

Matt Talhelm, WRAL reporter

Johnston County Schools will punish teaching of systemic racism, critical race theory

Teachers could be punished for teaching about systemic racism or "undermining" the United States foundational documents, according to a revised code of conduct document decided on by the Johnston County Board of Education Friday.

Maggie Brown, WRAL multiplatform producer

GOP leaders criticize vetoes, but likely cannot override them

Gov. Roy Cooper on Friday vetoed two bills authored by GOP legislative leaders that would have prohibited the teaching of critical race theory in North Carolina public schools and would have increased the penalties for rioting.

Cooper vetoes 'critical race theory,' rioting bills

Gov. Roy Cooper on Friday vetoed two bills authored by GOP legislative leaders that would have prohibited the teaching of critical race theory in North Carolina public schools and would have increased the penalties for rioting.

Laura Leslie, WRAL Capitol Bureau chief, & Travis Fain, WRAL statehouse reporter

Critical race theory bill creates partisan divide in General Assembly

Republican lawmakers voted Wednesday to limit how race and racism can be discussed in North Carolina classrooms, sending a controversial bill to the governor on a party-line vote.

Legislature passes bill limiting how NC teaches on race, racism, but a veto looms

Governor's office says the bill "is only meant for the next political campaign," Republicans don't have numbers to overturn a veto.

Travis Fain, WRAL statehouse reporter

House takes final vote on critical race theory ban

The House takes a final vote on legislation that would prohibit North Carolina public schools from teaching critical race theory in classes.

Battleboro teacher says new NC bill could limit which parts of history he is allowed to teach

This week, the North Carolina Senate passed a bill limiting the teaching of race, gender and sex in public schools. Rodney Pierce, a teacher at Red Oak Middle School in Battleboro, spoke with WRAL's Lena Tillett about how this bill could change the way he teaches history.

SEN. GLADYS ROBINSON: Stop 'nonsense and lies.' Enable teachers to teach 'so our children will do better'

Friday, Aug. 27, 2021 -- Let's address the real issues. Let us enable our teachers to teach. Give them the support they need to make sure our L.E.A.s are doing what they should do. That's where we put policy. Make sure they're doing what they should do. And let's leave the rest of this nonsense alone. Little Children grow up believing what you tell them. And we're the ones who are perpetuating the racist attitudes in scenes like this. It's not the little kids. It's not the teachers. It's adults. It is not the kids. It's not the teacher, it's adults. So, we need to allow them to teach so that our children will do better than we have done.