LRLC and 200 other Civil Rights Orgs Call on Congress to Reject Book Bans and Bigotry

Learning Rights Law Center and 228 other civil rights and education organizations joined the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights in a joint letter asking Congress to support H.Res 219, the Bill of Rights for Students and Parents. The bill is a response to H.R. 5, a discriminatory and harmful proposal that will put vulnerable students at risk.

The letter, which you can read here, states "As the civil and human rights community, we have fought for more than 100 years for the rights of all students and parents to attend and be fully included in well-resourced public schools that prepare them for their futures. The Bill of Rights for Students and Parents sets forth a vision respecting and honoring the dignity and worth of every child — a vision supported by the overwhelming majority of parents in the country. In contrast, H.R. 5 seeks to undermine the relationship between parents and teachers, to facilitate book banning, and to make our most marginalized children less safe.

“During this time in which proponents of discrimination and exclusion are creating policies and legislation to harm students and undermine the learning environment for everyone, support for developing supportive, inclusive, safe, and responsive public schools could not be more important. In a recent national survey, 80 percent or more of parents said that it was very or extremely important that their child be honest, ethical, hardworking, helpful to those in need, and accepting of people who are different from them. It is these parental values that are reflected in H.Res. 219. No matter our color, background, or zip code, we want our kids to have an education that imparts honesty about who we are, integrity in how we treat others, and courage to do what’s right.”

You can see all 229 organizations who signed the letter here.