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Education

North Dakota becomes latest state to ban critical race theory in schools

Legislature passes law and Gov. Doug Burgum signs it in less than 24 hours.

November 13, 2021 11:15pm

Updated: November 15, 2021 8:11am

North Dakota has become the latest Republican-led state to enact a law banning critical race theory in schools.

Gov. Doug Burgum signed the legislation after it passed the state Senate 38-9 on Friday, and the state House 76-16 on Thursday. 

"This bill addresses the concerns of parents while preserving the decision-making authority of local school boards to approve curriculum that is factual, objective and aligned with state content standards," Burgum told The Daily Wire after signing the legislation.

The law states that "each school district and public school shall ensure instruction of its curriculum is factual, objective, and aligned to the kindergarten through grade twelve state content standards. A school district or public school may not include instruction relating to critical race theory in any portion of the district’s required curriculum.

"For purposes of this section, critical race theory means the theory that racism is not merely the product of learned individual bias or prejudice, but that racism is systemically embedded in American society and the American legal system to facilitate racial inequality," the law adds. 

North Dakota joins a growing number of states that have banned CRT either though legislation or executive order, including Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama and South Carolina.