NOEM RUN: South Dakota Governor Bans CRT-Based Training in Public Colleges and Universities

Governor of South Dakota Kristi Noem signed a bill earlier this week banning CRT-based training and orientations at public colleges and universities.

“No student or teacher should have to endorse Critical Race Theory in order to attend, graduate from, or teach at our public universities,” Noem said in a statement. “College should remain a place where freedom of thought and expression are encouraged, not stifled by political agendas.”

According to TownHall, “House Bill 1012 outlines seven ‘divisive concepts’ that may no longer be a mandatory part of trainings and orientations for college students or faculty members.”

For the purposes of this Act, the term, divisive concepts, means:

(1) That any race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin is inherently superior or inferior;

(2) That individuals should be discriminated against or adversely treated because of their race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin;

(3) That an individual’s moral character is inherently determined by their race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin;

(4) That an individual, by virtue of their race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or subconsciously;

(5) That individuals, by virtue of race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin, are inherently responsible for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin;

(6) An individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on account of the individual’s race, color, religion, ethnicity, or national origin; or

(7) Meritocracy or traits such as a strong work ethic are racist or sexist or were created by members of a particular race or sex to oppress members of another race or sex.