Twenty states are opposing taxpayer funding for critical race theory in schools

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has joined a 20-state fight against a proposal that has been issued by the U.S. Department of Education that attorneys general say will force critical race theory into American schools.

"We need to learn from the real evils of slavery and racism, but these proposals will only create more misunderstanding," Yost said. "Critical race theory is nothing more than ideology posing as history, and we should not confuse the two."

Yost and the other attorneys general sent an eight-page letter Wednesday to the U.S. Department of Education, urging the department, now under the leadership of Miguel Cardona, to either drop the proposal or at least make clear federal taxpayer money can't be used "to fund projects that are based on [critical race theory], including any projects that characterize the United States as irredeemably racist or founded on principles of racism (as opposed to principles of equality) or that purport to ascribe character traits, values, privileges, status, or beliefs, or that assign fault, blame, or bias, to a particular race or to an individual because of his or her race."

The U.S. Department of Education issued two proposed "priorities" last month that would direct federal grant money to projects that "incorporate racially, ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse perspectives into teaching and learning" and projects that "promote information literacy skills."

Specifically, the money would go to programs that train new and veteran teachers in how to teach American history, civics and government and involve teaching high school students about American history and/or civics.

The other states whose attorneys general signed the letter were Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Indiana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia.