American Bar Association takes stand against laws that ban teaching about race

By Karen Sloan

February 6, 20244:27 AM GMT+7

Signage is seen outside of the American Bar Association (ABA) in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 10, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

Feb 5 (Reuters) - Teachers should be able to discuss race and gender in the classroom, the American Bar Association said Monday.

The ABA’s policymaking body adopted a resolution, opens new tab opposing federal, state or local laws or policies that “restrict the teaching and inclusion of studies on the experiences, roles, and contributions of any individual or group” on the basis of their race, gender identity, sexual orientation or religion, among other identifiers.

The resolution, which was submitted by nearly a dozen ABA entities, also opposes restrictions on books or other school resources that address those topics. The vote came on the final day of the ABA’s midyear meeting in Louisville, Kentucky.

“Curricular bans pose a threat to a child’s right to an honest and quality education and deprive them of the tools to make informed decisions as an adult partaking in the democratic process,” according to a report submitted with the resolution.

The ABA, with about 143,000 dues-paying members, has no power to regulate educational policies outside of law schools, but its resolutions reflect the positions of the nation's largest voluntary lawyer organization.

The resolution report cites Florida’s 2022 Stop WOKE Act, which prohibits teachers from discussing race in the classroom. The law, which is subject to a court-ordered temporary injunction amid 1st Amendment challenges, effectively curtails any discussion of slavery or historical marginalization, the report said. Similar bans have been on the rise in recent years in other states and localities.

Proponents of such laws argue that teaching about racism is divisive and that such lessons overstate the role of race in society and distort American history.

The House of Delegates also approved an increase in annual dues for ABA members amid declining membership and revenue. Most ABA members will pay an addition $45 a year, though government, public interest, solo practitioners and small firm lawyers will pay $25 more annually.

Reporting by Karen Sloan

Source: Reuters