After wrangling in court and a set of arguments that a 4th District Court judge called “frivolous,” Lt. Gen. Janice McGeachin released documents to the media pertaining to her education task force that investigated supposed indoctrination in Idaho’s public schools.
McGeachin made the documents available Thursday, a day after a lawyer for the Idaho Press Club filed a petition against the lieutenant governor for contempt of court. District Judge Steven Hippler denied her motion for relief from judgment, keeping in place his ruling in a lawsuit filed by the Idaho Press Club.
The lawsuit stemmed from McGeachin’s refusal to release feedback from the public that her task force gathered as part of its effort to “examine indoctrination in Idaho education and to protect our young people from the scourge of critical race theory, socialism, communism, and Marxism.”
The documents released Thursday include thousands of comments from people who identified themselves as parents, students and concerned citizens. Many of the comments were in opposition to the task force, saying public officials should let teachers do their jobs. People said it was important that children learned history and how to think critically, and accused McGeachin of supporting censorship.
Others expressed concern about critical race theory being taught in schools. Idaho educators told the Idaho Statesman over the summer that critical race theory is not taught in K-12 schools in the state. (Lewiston Tribune)
