DENVER — A Denver-area elementary school is planning a “families of color playground night” in the name of equity.
Originally scheduled for the second Wednesday of November and December, Nov. 10 and Dec. 18, Centennial Elementary School’s racially segregated playtimes are being rescheduled in the new year after they were canceled due to COVID-19, according to City Journal Reporter Christopher Rufo.
According to Centennial Elementary staff, this event was organized by the school's "Dean of Culture," Nicole Tembrock. The event was cancelled due to COVID protocols, but they plan to reschedule in the new year. pic.twitter.com/mf24FSmfGx
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) December 14, 2021
When reached for comment, a receptionist with Centennial Elementary referred The Federalist to Denver Public Schools, which did not immediately respond to inquiries.
A contact listed on the school’s September Facebook post, which outlined upcoming events sponsored by the “Diversity and Inclusivity Committee,” also did not immediately respond for comment.
The same post advertised new “Equity Book Study and Equity Discussions” on a monthly basis.
Dave Kopel, research director at the Denver-based Independence Institute and a professor at the University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law, wrote on Twitter that the elementary school’s race-based playground time was illegal under the Colorado Constitution. Article IX, section 8, Kopel highlighted, prohibits “any distinction or classification of pupils be made on account of race or color.”
In violation of Colo. Const. art. IX, sec. 8: "nor shall any distinction or classification of pupils be made on account of race or color." https://t.co/W3jmTUpPQK
— Dave Kopel (@davekopel) December 14, 2021
As K-12 schools have transformed into institutions of state-sponsored racism nationwide, Colorado has been no exception. The state has also been no exception to the grassroots blowback.
In the Denver suburbs of Douglas County, conservatives captured all four open seats on the seven-member school board to secure a majority for the first time in four years. Far beyond protesting the adoption of standards embedded in critical race theory, however, the new school board voted last week to overturn the district’s mask requirements.
Source: The Federalist
