Saturday, December 18, 2021

UT-Austin professors criticize university for halting antiracism study with preschoolers

It was beyond interesting having a front-row seat on the brouhaha that took place at our university just before Thanksgiving last month involving UT College of Education researchers regarding an American Enterprise Institute (AEI)-inspired attempt to pause legitimate, well-designed research because its exclusive focus was on white children and caregivers. 

Elaborated more fully in the Texas Tribune piece authored by Kate McGee appearing below, this attempt exposes an ultra-conservative agenda that involves AEI fellow and University of Michigan-Flint professor, Dr. Mark Perry, "who has filed hundreds of complaints with the OCR against universities that he believes are violating federal policies."

Not only would this attempt to thwart sound research violate Academic Freedom in higher education, but had the AEI succeeded, it would have set a terrible precedent at our university on anti-racist research.

On the heels of anti-CRT Senate Bill 3 that focuses exclusively on K-12 education, I see this as an opening volley against our social justice work in higher education about which we should all not only be vigilant, but vigorously oppose. The university ultimately did the right thing in lifting the "pause" to credible research that the university itself is funding by people who have nothing better to do than intimidate researchers asking important questions that help fill much-needed gaps in scholarship. 

May this be a lesson to other scholars getting similarly targeted. Do not give in to these white supremacist obstructionists. I'm proud of our swift response and trust that we will continue to address such baseless complaints as they surface. Stated differently, not responding means caving in to our freedom of expression and Academic Freedom that should never be compromised. Never.

-Angela Valenzuela

UT-Austin professors criticize university for halting antiracism study with preschoolers

The decision to halt the study comes after a University of Michigan-Flint professor filed an Office for Civil Rights complaint against the study, arguing it discriminates against children of color. But professors said pausing the study sets a negative precedent that could impact academic freedom.



Credit:Multiple University of Texas at Austin faculty groups say administrators are bowing to political pressure for pausing research into a program that teaches white preschoolers about anti-Black racism.  Allie Goulding/The Texas Tribune

Concerns about setting precedent

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