Concord Ledger

The largest teachers union in the state of New Hampshire has joined other advocacy groups in a lawsuit to challenge a new state law aimed at prohibiting the teaching of critical race theory (CRT).

CRT is an analysis based on a critical theory that originated in the mid-1970s. One facet of CRT is that racism and differentiated racial outcomes are the result of sometimes subtle social and institutional concepts, rather than simply the prejudices of individual people.

According to New Hampshire Public Radio, the second lawsuit has been filed in federal court just this month over the law that bans teachers from teaching that "any one group is inherently racist or oppressive."

"The National Education Association-New Hampshire (NEA-NH), the American Civil Liberties Union, and a group of advocacy groups and public school employees are suing the state over a new law that restricts certain kinds of teachings on racism, sexism and other forms of oppression," NH School Choice wrote in a Dec. 21 tweet.

The lawsuit claims the statute has a negative impact on staff trainings and classroom discussions, and it does not give educators enough information on how to comply with it. 

Megan Tuttle, president of the NEA-NH, told NHPR the union had asked state officials to clarify which topics and books would be permitted in their lessons under the new law, but they've yet to receive an answer. 

The lawsuit is similar to one filed by American Federation of Teachers-New Hampshire, the state's other major teachers union, but the two may be combined as they move forward through the court system.