‘Witch hunt,’ ‘fear mongering’: Here’s what’s in records McGeachin released after lawsuit
Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin last week released records under court order related to her task force looking into claims of “indoctrination” in Idaho schools.
The records — which were released months after journalists first requested them — included thousands of comments the lieutenant governor received after soliciting feedback for her task force beginning in April.
The documents included some comments in support of McGeachin and her task force’s efforts to “examine indoctrination in Idaho education and to protect our young people from the scourge of critical race theory, socialism, communism and Marxism.”
But far more of the comments opposed the task force. People who identified as teachers, students, parents and concerned citizens raised concerns about what the task force was doing, calling its allegations baseless and unfounded.
Much of the feedback was in stark contrast to what the task force heard and discussed at its four meetings between May and August.
The task force was made up of a group of people who largely believed its claims. It lacked current educators and had no representatives from the State Board of Education or Department of Education. Throughout its four meetings, it heard primarily from people who supported its work, and the task force did not take public comment until its last meeting.
‘Fabricated problems’
Many of the commenters used similar wording, calling the task force a waste of time and money. People praised the education they or their children received in Idaho and said they had not seen any evidence of indoctrination in the state’s public schools.
“Your concerns about indoctrination are fabricated problems your colleagues are using to defund public education. You should be ashamed of yourself,” one commenter wrote.
“This is a witch hunt. I am a high school teacher, and if you even set foot in a classroom and spent time there, you would not see indoctrination. Our standards literally require us to present multiple viewpoints to students so they can think critically about topics. I don’t control what my students think,” another commenter wrote.
Many people called for public officials to spend their time and efforts on other things, such as better funding for K-12 schools in the state. Idaho consistently ranks last or near last in funding per student compared to states across the country.
“My complaints with (the) Idaho education system is that the schools are underfunded and rely on local levies to supply basic needs. Please stop this silly witch hunt and fund our kids’ education — pre-K to college ASAP. We need you to stop wasting time and get your work done!” a commenter wrote.
Commenters also mentioned wanting their children to learn about the history of the country and all that it includes. Some people who submitted comments said their education or their children’s education had brushed over parts of history.
“I want my child to learn all history, the good, the bad and the ugly. That is what makes America, you do not get to pick and choose. How are we going to get better as a country if we don’t learn. Also diversity, why are we scared to learn about it? Idaho do better,” another commenter wrote.
Longtime educators echoed the sentiment.
“I’ve worked in Idaho public education for almost 15 years and been the parent of public school students for 6 and they barely even talk about MLK, let alone actually comprehensive and accurate history of non-white people,” a commenter wrote. “… Stop with the imaginary bogeyman stuff.”
Commenters also called what McGeachin was trying to do “censorship” and took direct aim at the lieutenant governor, accusing her of being fascist. They called the effort a “witch hunt” and said McGeachin was using the issue as a “fear mongering” tactic.
They also said the talk of indoctrination and critical race theory was creating a climate of fear in the classroom, making teachers nervous about what they can and can’t discuss.
“Janice McGeachin is trying to have a chilling effect on the freedom of speech of educators and other public employees. This is cancel culture, no two ways about it. Demagoguery has no place in Idaho, or America!” a commenter wrote.
People also reiterated that teachers follow the standards and curricula set by the state and local school boards.
Some people supported the task force
Far fewer commenters seemed to agree that there was indoctrination happening in Idaho schools. And some who did provided sparse details or actual evidence.
One commenter simply wrote: “Abolish public education. It has been corrupted.”
Other respondents said they didn’t want their kids to be learning critical race theory or social justice in school.
“CRT teaches children how to judge someone by their skin color,” one commenter wrote.
Another commenter wrote: “Keep CRT out of Idaho! It’s a Marxist movement that will destroy our children and country in America. It would be devastating to our future.”
According to the American Bar Association, critical race theory “recognizes that racism is not a bygone relic of the past.”
“Instead, it acknowledges that the legacy of slavery, segregation and the imposition of second-class citizenship on Black Americans and other people of color continue to permeate the social fabric of this nation,” according to the association.
Teachers told the Idaho Statesman earlier this year that critical race theory is not taught in K-12 schools.
One commenter identified as a higher-education student and mentioned having a few professors who “could not maintain professional distance” and “hinted at socialist ideas.”
The commenter encouraged the task force to look at printed materials from colleges and universities and tally “how many pro-left and pro-right articles, letters to the editor, or peer reviewed materials are printed/published by these schools.”
“I suspect they’ll find so much left lean that if these schools were a car, it would be hard to drive in a straight line,” the commenter wrote.
Some commenters were identified in the records; others were not.
The fight over the records
The fight over the release of the records started after three Idaho journalists filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the contents of the public comments submitted to McGeachin and the task force. In response, the lieutenant governor’s office sent documents with all of the feedback redacted, and asked each reporter to pay hundreds of dollars for the work.
A lawsuit filed in July by the Idaho Press Club argued McGeachin was violating Idaho’s public records law. In August, a judge ordered McGeachin to release the unredacted responses. Last week, a lawyer for the Idaho Press Club filed a petition against the lieutenant governor for contempt of court, which asked that a judge detain McGeachin in jail until she released the records.
The lieutenant governor’s office finally released the records the next day.
McGeachin’s office is now requesting that taxpayers help her pay for legal bills stemming from the lawsuit.
This story was originally published October 6, 2021 at 11:34 AM with the headline "‘Witch hunt,’ ‘fear mongering’: Here’s what’s in records McGeachin released after lawsuit."
