Arkansas Code of 1987 (2023) › Title 6 - EDUCATION (§§ 6-1-101 — 6-87-104) › Subtitle 2 - ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION GENERALLY (§§ 6-10-101 — 6-28-206) › Chapter 16 - CURRICULUM (§§ 6-16-101 — 6-16-1902) › Subchapter 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS (§§ 6-16-101 — 6-16-162) › Section 6-16-156 - Indoctrination - Definition

(a)
(1)
The Secretary of the Department of Education shall take established steps to ensure that the Department of Education and its employees, contractors, guest speakers, and lecturers are in compliance with Title IV and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Pub. L. No. 88-352.
(2)
Steps required under subdivision (a)(1) of this section shall include the review of the rules, policies, materials, and communications of the Department of Education to identify any items that may, purposely or otherwise, promote teaching that would indoctrinate students with ideologies such as Critical Race Theory, otherwise known as "CRT", that conflict with the principle of equal protection under the law or encourage students to discriminate against someone based on the individual's color, creed, race, ethnicity, sex, age, marital status, familial status, disability, religion, national origin, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law.
(3)
The secretary shall amend, annul, or alter the rules, policies, materials, or communications that are considered prohibited indoctrination and that conflict with the principle of equal protection under the law.
(b)
As used in this section, "prohibited indoctrination" means communication by a public school employee, public school representative, or guest speaker that compels a person to adopt, affirm, or profess an idea in violation of Title IV and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Pub. L. No. 88-352, including that:
(1)
People of one color, creed, race, ethnicity, sex, age, marital status, familial status, disability status, religion, national origin, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law are inherently superior or inferior to people of another color, creed, race, ethnicity, sex, age, marital status, familial status, disability status, religion, national origin, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law; or
(2)
An individual should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment solely or partly because of the individual's color, creed, race, ethnicity, sex, age, marital status, familial status, disability status, religion, national origin, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law.
(c)
This section does not prohibit the discussion of:
(1)
Ideas and the history of the concepts described in subsection (b) of this section; or
(2)
Public policy issues of the day and related ideas that individuals may find unwelcome, disagreeable, or offensive.
(d)
As it relates to employees, contractors, and guest speakers or lecturers of the department, the secretary shall review and enhance the policies that prevent prohibited indoctrination, including Critical Race Theory.
(e)
The secretary shall ensure that no public school employee or public school student shall be required to attend trainings or orientations based on prohibited indoctrination or Critical Race Theory.
(f)
The State Board of Education may promulgate rules to implement this section.
Added by Act 2023, No. 237,§ 16, eff. 3/8/2023.