A new exposé by education watchdog Defending Education has revealed that the Southern Poverty Law Center's (SPLC) 'Learning for Justice' curriculum, formerly known as 'Teaching Tolerance,' has been integrated into K-12 lesson plans and materials in 169 school districts across 42 states and Washington, D.C. [1]. The report highlights that SPLC's curriculum promotes 'far-left cultural and political ideologies,' including anti-racism, Black Lives Matter, gender ideology, queer theory, white privilege, white supremacy, whiteness, and transgenderism [1]. Nicole Neily, president of Defending Education, stated that these materials have supplanted traditional coursework in history, social studies, and other core classes, teaching children to view themselves and others through the lens of identity politics [1]. Neily further criticized the curriculum for sowing division and mistrust among students at a formative stage, and expressed disappointment that educators consider this an appropriate use of classroom time and resources [1].
The SPLC's 'Learning for Justice' program encourages the implementation of anchor standards and age-appropriate learning outcomes divided into the domains of identity, diversity, justice, and action. Under the action category, students are encouraged to join with diverse people to plan and carry out collective action against exclusion, prejudice, and discrimination, and to be thoughtful and creative in their actions to achieve their goals [1]. The report also notes that SPLC's materials are found on school district webpages, in teacher professional development and trainings, classroom lessons, district-wide curricula, Social Emotional Learning, social justice standards, and district antiracism and equity policies and resources [1].
Defending Education pointed out that the New York State Education Department added 'equity revisions' to its NY Social Emotional Learning Benchmarks, aligning them with SPLC’s social justice standards [1]. The SPLC did not respond to requests for comment on the report [1].
The integration of SPLC's curriculum in schools comes as the organization faces federal fraud charges, raising questions about the appropriateness and impact of its educational materials [1].
CONCLUSION
The report by Defending Education has brought significant attention to the widespread adoption of SPLC's 'Learning for Justice' curriculum in U.S. schools, sparking debate over its influence on educational content and student development. The lack of response from SPLC and the ongoing federal fraud charges add further scrutiny to the organization's role in shaping classroom instruction.