Arizona superintendent claims critical race theory is being taught to teachers

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) – Arizona School Superintendent Tom Horne held a press conference Thursday afternoon to discuss the empowerment hotline he created. It debuted three months ago as a way for parents to report inappropriate lessons their kids were learning. Horne said Thursday they have received 30,000 prank calls and emails, but the hotline is working.

The superintendent shared examples of things people have called the hotline about. Horne started by reading a passage from a book he claims a Mesa Unified School District teacher submitted. It read as “black and indigenous people of color are most vulnerable due to living under system of white supremacy.” Horne read that from a poster showing text from a book he claims teachers in Mesa were using in their professional development. Horne said it was “outrageous” to say the United States is a system of white supremacy, and it was an example of a “typical critical race theory statement.”

Arizona’s Family Reporter Michael Raimondi spoke to a Mesa Unified teacher Thursday. They said teachers were notified of the text back in May. They said they called their bosses and other teachers. Nobody had heard or seen that example in any book they were using in professional development.

Horne also spoke about other districts where he claims students are asking to be called by different names or pronouns but not looping in the parents. He had a big poster about how not telling the parents is against the law. In another case, Horne said some kids were given child emancipation paperwork at a straight/gay alliance meeting. Horne says these topics are not appropriate for students.

The Arizona Education Association had strong words for Horne after the press conference. They released a statement from AEA President Marisol Garcia:

We contacted the Arizona Department of Education to ask how many Mesa Unified schools were using the textbooks Horne spoke about. They never responded. We also reached out to members of the Mesa School Board. They also didn’t respond.

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