COLUMBIA — A series of actions by South Carolina lawmakers and now recently filed legislation has University of South Carolina professors worried they could be politically targeted or lose their jobs for teaching critical race theory.
Bills circulating in South Carolina's Statehouse, as well as others around the country, seek to put limits on what state college instructors are able to teach, invading the academic liberty that has long been one of the tenets of institutions of higher learning, professors say.
In June, U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, a Republican who serves the fast-growing area of Rock Hill, penned a letter to the presidents of USC and Clemson University, which also was signed by other Republican members of the congressional delegation.
The letter called on the university heads to "eradicate" any classes related to critical race theory, which Norman referred to as “neo-racist,” “Marxist” and “antithetical to American principles.”
In the letter, a USC professor was singled out by name for classes she teaches on the theory, sending a wave of concern through the university faculty.
Critical race theory, which has been around for more than 40 years, is the academic concept that race is a social construct rather than solely the product of individual bias or prejudice. It states, for this reason, that our government systems are inherently uneven for minority populations.
Those who teach and do research surrounding the theory at the university level say they believe it's worthwhile to expose students to different ways of thinking.
"What people choose to do with it is absolutely up to them," said USC business school professor Chris Yenkey.
But Norman and others believe the theory to be "a bigoted, dangerous philosophy that seeks to assign both an identity and blame to someone based not on their beliefs or actions, but instead on the color of their skin."
"This misguided philosophy pushes flawed, counterproductive concepts that encourage treating people differently according to how they look. It has no place in American society, let alone our classrooms," the congressman said in a statement.
It's a debate playing out on a national scale, with at least 27 states taking steps to keep discussions surrounding racism and sexism out of the classroom, and at least a dozen states enacting bans.
That includes a one-year South Carolina budget rule that took effect July 1 barring teaching at the K-12 level that one race or gender is inherently superior to another; that people are inherently racist or sexist because of their race; and that traits, such as a hard work ethic were created as tools of oppression.
Most recently, state Rep. Lin Bennett, a Charleston Republican, went further, filing a bill that prevents any state-funded entity from teaching or encouraging the idea that a person or group is "inherently racist, sexist, bigoted, ignorant, biased, fragile, oppressive, or contributive to any oppression."
The proposal also calls for setting up a public hotline for people to call in violations and the entity could lose all of its state funding. It also requires state-funded schools to provide a list of classes, books, resources, and materials used for instruction.
"This is part of a national movement," USC interim President Harris Pastides told faculty leaders. "There is a robust group of people; they will not let this go."
"As stirred up as we might be, there will be a stirring up of opposing forces," he added.
Pastides went on to say that while there will likely be debate on the legislation in the coming session that starts in January, he did not believe it would pass through the Statehouse in the course of one session alone.
Clemson leaders did not respond to requests for comment.
Bennett filed a similar bill on the last day of the previous legislative session, which has not progressed in the lawmaking process.
USC faculty were at first concerned when school leaders did not immediately react to the letter from the congressional delegation naming education professor Allison Anders, who is on a research sabbatical and could not be reached by The Post and Courier for comment, and called for a statement from the administration in support of academic freedom.
"In the current climate, that could be dangerous," said Carol Harrison, a USC history professor. "She didn't deserve that."
Following remarks from Pastides, the instructors have since grown in confidence of leadership's backing.
Harrison went on to say the recent legislation "sells students short" and dictates what they can and cannot learn.
"I think we need to be clear about what is essentially an educational gag order," she said.
Harrison worries a ban on critical race theory could lead to prohibition of other politically charged studies, like climate change and stem cell research.
"It's hard to draw lines," she said.
Together with another piece of legislation recently introduced by state Rep. Bill Taylor, R-Aiken, which eliminates tenure for any newly hired professors and replaces it with five-year contracts, the critical race theory bill "creates a faculty always concerned they'll be fired without cause for what they say," Harrison said.
USC business school professor Chris Yenkey also frets the tenure bill will scare away potential new hires and diminish the body of research that goes on at the state largest university.
"It feels like whack-a-mole is what it feels like," he said of the barrage of legislation.
And he's advocating for faculty to take a more proactive role in response, hoping to promote the research and educational value USC brings to Columbia and the state as a whole.
