NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Tennessee Education Association is fighting a law that prohibits teachers from discussing certain concepts about race and gender.
The group called the law unconstitutional, claiming it is a violation of the 14th Amendment for how vague it is.
This act became law in 2021 and is called the "Prohibited Concepts Ban."
The TEA and five educators filed this lawsuit against the Tennessee Commissioner of Education and members of the State Board of Education.
The lawsuit said the ban can lead to subjective enforcement initiated by parents, students, or another public school employee that can result in a teacher losing their license.
The TEA also said the law interferes with instruction on difficult but important topics included in the Tennessee State Standards, and claimed the law fails to provide educators a reasonable opportunity to understand what conduct is actually prohibited, therefore encouraging discriminatory enforcement.
The TEA said it has already seen teachers change their lesson plans and activities out of fear of backlash and that Tennessee students will fall behind their peers in other states if this law remains.
