Dear Editor:
Recently this paper published an article about the dispute involving the Jefferson School District and taxpayers questioning why it has spent $88,000 to train educators how to teach the tenets of critical race theory while denying it is adopting that philosophy. The paper incorrectly stated that I seek "to ban certain topics of race and equity resources in JC schools." After its publication I asked three times that it provide any quote from me that support that statement. Its response finally came from its editor. He admitted it was not a quote from me but was "tied to your previous comments in which you have stated your opposition to the teaching of critical race theory" and that I "have stated the board should get rid of textbooks from McGraw-Hill and TCI because the publishers promote educational equity." I never stated that the district "should get rid of books" and he could not provide a quote from me that said that.
He further claimed that I "have also stated in public meetings that you believe the district should immediately abandon" certain publishers "because their websites 'appear to support the same philosophies of critical race theory' and the assertion that this country is systemically racist. By those comments, it would suggest that you are asking the board to ban topics of race based on the belief that a systemic racism exists in the country." (emphasis added).
He declined my offer to discuss the distinction between a "ban" and not having taxpayers pay for books from a resource that supports critical race theory, and the claim that I urge "banning certain topics of race and equity resources in JC schools." I never suggested banning topics or books. I do not want taxpayer money spent on textbooks that promote racism and falsehoods. If the school was considering buying textbooks that claimed the Holocaust never occurred and I encouraged it not to buy those books as textbooks, it would not be that I wanted to "ban" those books.
The editor declined my invitation to provide it information that Jefferson City School Board violated the First Amendment or that JCSB demanded I pay over $28,000 to obtain comments made by the staff that attended the "unconscious and equity training this summer," which included material consistent with CRT. Why doesn't the paper want this information?
Exposing government wrongdoing is a major reason papers exist.