GOP congressman encourages parents to 'stop paying taxes' if schools teach about racism

Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) on Monday called on parents to “stop paying taxes” to schools that use anti-racism curricula.

Roy appeared on “The Dana Show” on conservative network First TV to discuss how Republicans can push back on schools that teach about racism — which he inaccurately described as teaching children that America is “evil” — and called for schools to be defunded over the issue.

“Too often, Republicans have gotten distracted by shiny objects. We chase all these issues in D.C. You go win at the local level, go take your schools back,” Roy said. “Stop paying taxes to a school that teaches your children that America is evil. If we do that we’ll win, and we’ll win in the courts.”

Schools across the country are already facing money woes. Many are heavily reliant on funds from local taxes, generally in the form of property taxes. According to the most recently available data, Roy’s home state of Texas ranks near the bottom in money spent per student at the K-12 level, nearly $3,000 below the national average.

The comment from Roy is the latest statement in a series of attacks. Roy and other Republicans have wrongly labeled anti-racism education initiatives “critical race theory,” a term that refers to an academic approach to the study of systemic racism that is typically taught at the university level.

In May, Roy and 26 other House Republicans introduced legislation that would have withheld federal tax dollars from schools that include anti-racism lessons. In a press release, Roy described critical race theory as “racist” and falsely claimed that learning about racism would indoctrinate people “to hate our country, its founding, or our fellow citizens.”

On Nov. 16, Roy was part of another attack when he took part in a rally at the U.S. Capitol organized by a group tied to conservative megadonor Charles Koch. At the rally, Roy said that a “good thing” that has come out of the COVID-19 pandemic is that “the veil has been lifted on a corrupt education system teaching our children that America is evil.”

Republicans have previously indicated that they believe these attacks will help the party regain a majority in Congress.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.