A public school teacher in Loudoun County, Virginia resigned at the district’s most recent school board meeting over critical race theory-themed curriculum. “Within the last year, I was told in one of my so-called equity trainings that white, Christian, able-bodied females currently have the power in our schools, and that ‘this has to change,’” said teacher Laura Morris during Tuesday’s Loudoun County School Board meeting. “Clearly, you’ve made your point,” Morris continued. “You no longer value me or many other teachers you’ve employed in this county. So since my contract outlines the power that you have over my employment in Loudoun County Public Schools, I thought it necessary to resign in front of you.”
“School board, I quit,” Morris formally stated. “I quit your policies, I quit your training, and I quit being a cog in a machine that tells me to push highly politicized agendas to our most vulnerable constituents: the children.” She then encouraged parents to pull their children from district schools. “I will find employment elsewhere. I encourage all parents and staff in this county to flood the private schools.”
Lots of impassioned arguments tonight from both sides.
One of the most striking moments was this…
This @LCPSOfficial teacher quit right in front of the board, b/c she said they're forcing her to "push highly politicized agendas on…children." @wusa9 pic.twitter.com/K7KYKLCHA0
— Jess Arnold (@JessArnoldTV) August 11, 2021
In June, two anti-CRT residents were arrested at a district school board meeting. Over 200 parents and local residents, along with retired Virginia State Senator Dick Black, showed up to protest the schools CRT-themed curriculum, as well as proposed transgender policies. Black’s comments, which included the condemnation of an “anti-racist” Facebook group that had doxxed parents opposed to CRT, resulted in loud cheering from the crowd. The board then decided to abruptly end the meeting.
Over 200 speakers were signed up for the comment portion, prompting many to stay after the board shut down the meeting. The board’s decision was met with boos and calls for members to resign. Not long after that, the Loudoun County Sherriff’s Department declared the event an unlawful assembly and threatened to arrest those who refused to leave. The police eventually made two arrests, including one for resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. The other was given a summons for trespassing and released from the scene.
Two arrests made at the Loudoun County, Virginia school board meeting after it was declared an unlawful assembly and some parents here to protest against critical race theory and a transgender policy refused to leave right away #CriticalRaceTheory pic.twitter.com/dsZDrqJ0Gp
— Gabriella Borter (@gabriellaborter) June 22, 2021
A day after Morris resigned, the school board voted 7-2 to approve new transgender guidelines. The new guidelines, which will take effect immediately, will require teachers to address transgender students by their names and pronouns. Transgender students will also be allowed to participate in sports in accordance with their gender identity, among other new policies.