Temecula school board hires nonprofit law firm to defend resolution banning critical race theory

TEMECULA, Calif. (KABC) -- The Temecula Valley school board has voted to hire a nonprofit law firm to represent the district in a lawsuit challenging its ban on critical race theory.

The Murrieta-based law firm Advocates for Faith and Freedom will represent the district free of charge, however, the district will still be responsible for court filing fees, disposition fees and other costs.

The lawsuit filed against the district challenges a resolution that the school board approved on December 13, 2022. While the resolution banned critical race theory, the lawsuit claims the resolution deprived students of the "opportunity to engage in factual investigation, freely discuss ideas, and develop critical thinking and reasoning skills."

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A lawsuit has been filed against the Temecula Valley Unified School District over its ban on critical race theory.

"When our curriculum ignores diverse perspectives, many students feel invisible in the classroom," said teacher Jennifer Scharf during a news conference held last week by Public Counsel, the organization responsible for the lawsuit.

Another teacher said the passing of the resolution has ratcheted up tension in the community.

"There has been a massive spike in frightening and even threatening rhetoric and activity throughout the city," said teacher Dawn Sippy. "Even in my school, I began to notice more racist remarks and behavior."

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The Temecula Valley school board adopted a social studies curriculum that includes gay rights that was approved by parents and teachers after initially rejecting it.

But Bob Tyler, president of Advocates for Faith and Freedom, said not only is his organization getting involved to support local control of school boards, but to stop what he says is the teaching of racism in public schools.

"Critical race theory should not be what is proselytized in the schools as being truth, any more than Christianity, Judaism, or Hinduism should be proselytized by a teacher in the classroom as absolute truth," said Tyler, who said he doesn't see anything wrong with teaching critical race theory as long as it's not taught as fact.

"No student should be labeled based on the color of your skin," Tyler said. "No teaching should be made in the school district that would say because you're of a particular race you're the problem."