Trump’s orders are targeting the critical theory of race and anti -Semitism on university campuses

Washington (AP) – President Donald Trump orders American schools to stop teaching what he considers “Critical theory of race” and other elements dealing with race and sexuality or risk losing their federal money.

A separate plan announced on Wednesday calls for aggressive action to fight anti -Semitism on university campusesPromising to continue offenders and revoke visas for international students who are “Sympathizers of Hamas”.

The two plans were described in executive decrees signed by Trump on Wednesday. The measures seek to fulfill some of the republican presidents Basic campaign promises Around education, although he is not clear how much power he has to promulgate proposals.

His order on schools from kindergarten to 12th year declares that federal money cannot be used on “indoctrination” of children, including “the radical ideology of sexes and critical theory of race”. He indicates that civil rights laws prohibiting discrimination based on sex and race would be used to enforce order, qualifying the theory of critical race an “intrinsically racist policy”.

The examples cited by the White House include a policy in public schools of Harrisonburg City in Virginia demanding that teachers use the favorite names and pronouns of students. Another policy of Metropolitan School District Madison in Wisconsin says that schools should “disturb the gender binary” by teaching students to adopt different gender identities, according to the order.

Michael Richards, superintendent of Harrisonburg schools, said that the district had no policy that endoches the children or violates anyone’s rights.

“What we have is a culture of respect – that which honors the dignity and diversity of all students, families and educators,” said Richards in a press release. “I will not be intimidated. I am firm in my commitment to ensure that HCP remains a safe and welcoming place for everyone. »»

The Office of the Department of Education for Civil Rights is investigating allegations of violations of civil rights and can impose sanctions until a total loss of federal money, although this sanction has almost never been used and must be approved by a judge.

The order unjustly tarnishes teachers and makes them more difficult for them to do their job, said Randi Weingarten, president of the American teachers’ federation.

“Today is a sad day because the Trump administration does exactly what it accuses others: creating a division and fear in classrooms across America,” she said.

Trump also orders the Secretary for Education to develop a strategy within 90 days to “end the indoctrination in the education of kindergarten in the 12th year”. Trump appointed the billionaire professional wrestling magnate Linda McMahon As head of education, but his confirmation audience of the Senate was not planned.

During his campaign, Trump said that he would sign a “first day” prescription to reduce federal money for schools that push the critical theory of the race or another “inappropriate” content. The federal government provides billions of dollars to schools each year, although the vast majority of their money comes from state and local sources.

The measure draws from a wave of conservative anger that has targeted class lessons that some consider too liberal. An increasing number of republican states have adopted laws or rules less than teaching the theory of critical race or “division concepts” in public schools and universities.

Opponents say that the rules impose vague restrictions on teachers and create a frightening effect on history discussions and other subjects.

The term “critical theory of race” is used by conservatives as a sensor for subjects that they do not want to be taught in class, but in reality, it refers to a complex academic and legal framework centered on the idea that racism is integrated into the country’s systems.

Trey Walk, researcher and defender of Human Rights Watch, said that students have the right to know how discrimination can be rooted in law and society. “If the United States refuses young people about this knowledge, it has little hope of eradicating racism,” he said.

Trump’s plan to fight anti -Semitism “would bring together all federal resources” and bring immediate measures of the Ministry of Justice to investigate and punish offenders on American campuses. He calls for the expulsion of non-resident foreigners who “violate our laws”, citing Trump’s previous threats to revoke student visas for international students who attended pro-Palestinian demonstrations.

Trump’s action promises to “protect law and order, repress vandalism and pro-Hamas intimidation, and investigate and punish anti-Jewish racism in anti-American colleges and universities” .

He led to a rapid reaction of civil rights groups which declared that campus demonstrations were mainly peaceful and are protected by the rights to constitutional freedom of expression.

Edward Ahmed Mitchell, National Deputy Director of the American-Islamic Relations Council, said the action was discriminatory and wrongly characterizes demonstrators as “pro-jihadist” or “pro-Hamas”.

“These students were Jews, Muslims, black, Palestinians and various other races that simply protest on what they considered a genocide in Gaza,” said Mitchell. “They are not different from the students who protested against Vietnam or segregation or apartheid in South Africa.”

Tensions on the War of Israel-Hamas have led to emotional demonstrations on American campuses, including a wave of camps of pro-Palestinian tents that led to Some 3,200 arrests.

The Biden administration opened more than 100 investigations on anti -Semitism and presumed Islamophobia in schools and universities after the attack on Hamas on October 7, 2023 against Israel. A burst of schools concluded agreements to settle business before Trump takes up his duties in the middle of the fear that he gives heavier sanctions.

On Wednesday, the White House also restored an order for the first mandate of Trump establishing the commission of 1776 to promote “patriotic education” in American schools.

Biden Revived the order And the guide of the Commission for Teaching History. The guide played the role of America in slavery and argued that the Civil Rights Movement fled to the “high ideals” adopted by the founding fathers. He was widely turned by historians, who said he was obsolete and ignored in decades of research.

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The author of the Associated Press Jocelyn Gecker in San Francisco contributed to this report.

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