Parents Group Sues Williamson County Board Of Education Over Critical Race Theory

Image Credit: Parents’ Choice Tennessee

Press Release –

Parents’ Choice Tennessee, a parents’ advocacy group, filed suit in Franklin, Tennessee, challenging the school board’s adoption of a curriculum that the group says  violates Tennessee laws prohibiting the teaching of Critical Race Theory and Common Core. 

Named as plaintiffs in the case are James and Patricia Lucente, parents of a first-grader enrolled in the school system. The complaint, which names as defendants the Williamson County Board of Education,  its Superintendent Jason Golden, Assistant Superintendent Dave Allen, and the State Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn, alleges that a language arts curriculum known as Wit & Wisdom is replete  with age-inappropriate materials which promote a skewed and racist view of history and portrays one  race as inherently superior to another, or inherently privileged and oppressive. 

“The curriculum was adopted through a process in violation of state law, and over the objections of  several parents and educators who raised serious concerns about the graphic, racist, and age inappropriate nature of much of its content,” said Ms. Lucente.  

“Wit & Wisdom uses Social Emotional Learning to masquerade as a sort of “feel good” approach that  steers young elementary-age children to horrific discussions of the savagery of slavery, war, misery,  sexual aggression and death. Wit & Wisdom is conditioning our children to view the world through the  eyes of a critical theorist which is destructive and divisive. It’s very clear that this failed curriculum  focuses more on political literacy instead of literacy. Not only has Williamson County failed to protect  our children from this harmful material, they have also failed to protect our teachers by instructing them  to teach this questionable and destructive material with fidelity or else,” said Lucente. 

“The claims presented in this lawsuit raise serious constitutional concerns regarding the parental liberty  rights of parents to direct and control the education and upbringing of their children,” said Larry Crain,  attorney for the parent group. “The school system has turned a deaf ear to these concerns, and this is  what has prompted this action.” 

The lawsuit alleges that the Wit & Wisdom materials present age-inappropriate material that causes  children guilt, anguish, and other forms of psychological harm, and discusses the United States as an  irredeemably racist country. It seeks declaratory judgment to declare the use of this curriculum a violation of state law, and an injunction blocking its further use in the classroom.