A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that Arkansas can enforce its ban on critical race theory (CRT) in public school classrooms. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals vacated a preliminary injunction previously granted to two students at Little Rock Central High School who had challenged the law.
The court found the First Amendment does not give students the right to compel the state to provide specific curriculum content. “Students cannot oblige the government to maintain a particular curriculum or offer certain materials… based on the Free Speech Clause,” the judges wrote.
The CRT ban is part of a broader education overhaul signed in 2023 by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who called the ruling a “big win” for “education freedom.” Attorney General Tim Griffin also praised the decision, stating it affirms the authority of elected officials over curriculum.
CRT is an academic framework that examines how racism can be embedded in institutions. It is not part of Arkansas’ K-12 curriculum, and the law itself does not define CRT.
The lawsuit, brought by two teachers and two students, remains ongoing. Their attorney expressed concern over the ruling, warning of a broader erosion of individual rights. The court acknowledged student concerns but said courts can’t intervene over policy disagreements alone.
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