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.

"We were outside what I think our lane is," Commissioner Tony Braswell said. "The funding to the schools is the most important thing we do.. ... We don’t set standards in education. We don’t set curriculum. That’s not what we do."

Commissioners said over the summer that they would not approve the full 2021-22 budget request from Johnston County Public Schools until the school board "adopt[ed] policies that eliminate the possibility of divisive teaching topics."

Critical race theory – the notion that racism is embedded in American society – has been a hot-button topic in conservative circles for months. Some people even railed against it during a rally last month against the mask mandate in Johnston County Public Schools.

The Johnston County Board of Education last Friday adopted a code of conduct policy that, while not using the term "critical race theory," prohibits teaching "the notion that racism is a permanent component of American life." It also requires that teachers present "all people who contributed to American society ... [as] heroes to our culture."

"No unequal value shall be placed on any race, gender, religion, ethnicity, social class, or any other identity group," the policy states.

Students are also to learn compliance with laws, according to the policy.

"No children should be encouraged to commit any crimes that are defined as crimes in the name of activism," school board member Ron Johnson said during last weeks' board meeting.

The new policy doesn't ban any specific books, words or topics, but it does allow district administrators to discipline and even fire teachers for violations.

After the policy was in place, commissioners voted Monday to release $7.9 million in previously approved funding to the school district.

Braswell said he voted to provide the money because it marked the first time Johnston County Public Schools had been fully funded by the county. But he didn't like the path taken to get there.

"It set a precedent, let me say that," he said. "I can tell you, in my 17 years [as commissioner], it’s never happened before, and I don’t think that’s what we do."

"County commissioners are not supposed to have that power, so they really have usurped some power from our school board," agreed Rick Mercier, who has two children in Johnston County schools.

But Commissioner Ted Godwin, in a statement to WRAL News, called the policy "as basic as Mom, the flag and apple pie."

"We should not ever teach anything to make students feel less than they are. Everyone deserves to be treated fairly and with dignity," Godwin said. "I think [students] should know all about America’s past history – true history. They shouldn’t feel uncomfortable about it. They shouldn’t be made to feel guilty about it. They had nothing to do with it. Teach them what happened in history. Don’t make them feel responsible."

Mercier said students cannot get an accurate sense of history without serious discussions of racism and its lingering impacts.

"I think students are ready to have these conversations, but I really fear this policy will deter some of those conversations. I think it will lead to certain voices continuing to be marginalized," Mercier said. "In some cases, students aren’t going to get the full picture of our complete history in all of its complexities and contradictions."

He called the policy "intimidating in parts" and said he worries that the policy will be used to rein in teachers. Some teachers might just avoid lessons involving race and racism altogether, he said.

"I think this policy and the atmosphere being created in Johnston County could lead many teachers to whitewash our history," he said.

Republican state lawmakers similarly tried to prohibit the teaching of concepts such as that people are either oppressors or the oppressed, but Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed the legislation, calling it a misguided attempt to push "calculated, conspiracy-laden politics into public education."