Virginia mom stands up to radical school board

Dear friend,

For many families, the end of Summer is a time of preparation-buying school supplies, backpacks, new shoes, and generally getting ready for the new school year. Parents and students are excited about the learning and growth ahead.

But what happens when your child's curriculum becomes indoctrination, and violates everything you've taught your child about how to see the world and how to treat those around them?

Melissa Riley was like any other mother of a teenage boy. She had the typical concerns about her son-making sure he concentrated on his studies, spent time with friends who would help build his character, and planning for a future full of promise. Melissa's son is multi-racial; white and Native American on his mother's side, and black on his father's. Melissa had always taught him that his family's rich heritage was worth celebrating. And until recently, she had never heard him say anything negative about his heritage, or anything about it making him feel different than his peers.

But in 2021 his attitude seemed to change. He became increasingly focused on his own race and that of his peers. He began to identify exclusively as black and, for the first time, voiced negative thoughts about his race. Unlike in past school years, Melissa's son saw himself as different from his white peers.

"The black-white divide is not a real divide, it's not one that God established." -Dr. Voddie Baucham

What had happened? What could have caused this sudden focus on race? What could have made this young man feel suddenly separated from his peers?

Melissa began to dig into her son's school curriculum and found that the school had begun indoctrinating students in "anti-racism," a critical race theory (CRT)-based notion that demands adherents focus their entire worldview through a lens of race.

Will you step up today and help ADF defend Melissa's parental rights by making a gift of $35, $75, $100, or $200?

The school told her son to divide all people into race-based categories of either "oppressor" or "oppressed." This racialized ideology contradicted what Melissa had always taught her son: to value both sides of his family, to treat all people equally regardless of race.

Melissa wanted her son to learn about America's history-including uncomfortable lessons about slavery and the evil of racism. But she didn't want him forced to put people into boxes based on their race, even in the name of "anti-racism." Racism can't be cured with more racism.

"We are literally teaching our youngest kids to hate themselves and the nation they call home. In so doing, we are stripping away a child's inherent and God-given self-worth and spewing hatred in its place...our schools are ushering in institutionalized racism and raising a generation of Americans who lack a foundation of biblical truth." -Dr. James Dobson

So she did what any concerned parent would do-she reached out to school officials to raise concerns about what her son was being taught. Understandably, she didn't want him in an environment where his skin color was the focus. But when she raised those concerns, the school's proposed solution was that minority students would be offered a "safe space" to talk about racism separate from white students, who were being taught "anti-racism" lessons.

For Melissa, that set off alarm bells. It sounded like segregation.

Although the last thing she wanted to do was file a lawsuit against the school, the officials' rejection of her concerns left her no choice. Along with several other families, and with the help of Alliance Defending Freedom, Melissa stood up for her son and her parental rights by suing the Albemarle County Public School Board.

Melissa's case has now been appealed to the Virginia Court of Appeals, and the outcome could be crucial in the struggle to defend the constitutional right of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children.

Will you help ADF defend Melissa's right to protect her son-and millions of other children-from dangerous CRT ideology that has infected American classrooms? ADF won't charge Melissa a dime to defend her-even if it takes us all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. But we can only do that because of the generous support of people like you. Can you chip in $35, $75, $100, or $200 right now?

Since filing suit, Melissa and the other families have faced ridicule and vile attacks on them and their children-simply for standing up for their rights as parents. But attempts to silence her won't work. She's standing strong-but she can't do this alone.

Stand with her and ADF, and help us restore a culture that respects the God-given role that parents have in raising the next generation.

For our children and grandchildren,

Alliance Defending Freedom


P.S. Parental rights are under assault from CRT-based curriculum and radical school officials! Because of this, Virginia mom Melissa Riley is suing her school district with the help of Alliance Defending Freedom. Will you help support her right to protect her child from racist curriculum and policies?