Critical Race Theory Is Not Taught In Solon Schools: BOE

SOLON, OH — Schools in Solon will continue to teach diversity, equity and inclusion, the Board of Education said Monday.

In a statement issued on Monday, district officials said they were committed to diversity and inclusion within the schools, but any planned activities would be shared with families well in advance. That would provide opportunities for dialogue and informed family decisions.

"As our mission states, our schools, in partnership with families, work to foster an inclusive and positive environment. This is the goal of all diversity and inclusion activities in the Solon Schools: Creating a more inclusive environment where all students feel welcome, supported and accepted," Solon Board of Education President Julie Glavin said on Monday.

Glavin said classrooms will engage in age-appropriate activities to foster acceptance and inclusion throughout the school year. Solon High students will take part in four activities with opportunities for discussion on acceptance among students and supporting mental health.

Glavin said her statement was prompted by a wave of emails and calls concerning the district's diversity and inclusion program for the coming year. There has also been concern the district is teaching critical race theory to students, a claim the board said is not based in reality.

Critical race theory has never been taught in the Solon Schools, Tamara Strom, a spokesperson for Solon Schools, told Patch.

The phrase — critical race theory — has become a catchall for various claims about racism and race relations in the United States having nothing to do with critical race theory itself.

Critical race theory is a decades-old legal and academic framework that looks at and critiques how race and racism shaped U.S. laws and institutions that remain in place today and help perpetuate racism and a kind of caste system that continues to the disadvantage of people of color.

In late May, legislators in the Ohio House introduced a bill that would ban the teaching of critical race theory in public schools. The bill's sponsor — state Rep. Don Jones, a Republican from Freeport — said students should not be asked to "examine their whiteness" or "check their privilege." His legislation would also limit how students could be taught about slavery.

State Rep. Thomas West, the new leader of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus, told the Ohio Capital Journal that teaching critical race theory is important.

"Teaching our kids about race and racism isn't divisive; it is critical to ensuring that they understand and value the diversity of our state," he said.