LINCOLN, Neb. – The ACLU of Nebraska is calling on the Nebraska Legislature to reject a new bill that would censor Nebraskans’ conversations on race and gender.
Today, Sen. Ben Hansen introduced LB1077, which would restrict discussions of race and gender in K-12 and higher education classrooms as well as government agencies’ professional development training. Schools that violate the ban could be punished with a loss of funding. Government agencies that violate the ban would be referred to Nebraska's attorney general for potential litigation.
ACLU of Nebraska Interim Legal Director Rose Godinez said contrary to the bill’s claims, the legislation would violate First Amendment rights, interfere with accurate teaching, and chill important educational discussions.
“This bill is staggering in its scope and is big government censorship at its worst. It raises serious policy and legal implications for free expression, academic freedom, due process, and equal protection and seeks to turn the clock back on efforts to ensure fairness regarding race and gender in Nebraska. Nebraska students and professionals should not be robbed of an inclusive and accurate teaching of our country’s history or best practices in making our society more fair for everyone. It's disappointing that some politicians want to censor free expression and accurate teaching of important issues. Regardless of our background, skin color, or income, Nebraskans understand everyone deserves to be treated fairly. We know that has not always been the case and we can’t be afraid of that hard truth. If state senators seek to censor and gag teachers, students, and public servants in conversations about systemic racism and sexism, they will hurt efforts to recruit and retain a vibrant and inclusive workforce and hurt our shared goals of ensuring students have an equal opportunity to thrive and learn in an environment free from discrimination.”
The ACLU filed a lawsuit challenging a similar law in Oklahoma last October. The litigation is pending in the federal court system.
LB1077’s introduction comes after University of Nebraska regents opposed a resolution related to classroom conversations of systemic racism. University of Nebraska students, the ACLU of Nebraska, NAACP of Lincoln and ADL of the Great Plains advocated against the resolution, saying it would interfere with academic freedom and send the wrong message to students and educators.
