A high school English teacher at Norman School District in Norman, Oklahoma, was recently admonished for sharing a QR Code with students that led to book recommendations from the Brooklyn Public Library. A parent filed a complaint and claimed that recommended materials supported critical race theory, which is against the law in Oklahoma under HB 1775.
HB 1775 has put school districts under intense pressure as educators struggle with understanding the scope of legislation which only states that teachers cannot “require or make a part of any course certain ideas.” The law does not apply to educators providing reading recommendations.
The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) has contacted Norman School District administrators to encourage the district to take steps to ensure that students, parents, and staff understand the scope of the law and work to better define that HB 1775 only applies to curriculum.
Read the full letter below.