Maria Montessori Academy, a public charter school in Utah has rescinded the option to allow parents to have their children opt out of the Black History Month curriculum, after backlash from the community.
The school’s Director Micah Hirokawa, sent an email to parents on Saturday apologizing for the option to opt out of Black History Month and noted the school has now officially rescinded that offer.
The email states that “at this time no families are opting out of our planned activities and we have removed this option,” according to FOX13.
On Friday, Hirokawa posted to the school’s private Facebook page that he “reluctantly” sent a letter to families stating that administrators were allowing them “to exercise their civil rights to not participate in Black History Month at the school,” noting that a few families inquired about the option for their kids to opt out, according to a local news outlet, Standard-Examiner.
Hirokawa said he was “deeply saddened and disappointed” by the request from some families.
“We should not shield our children from the history of our Nation, the mistreatment of its African American citizens, and the bravery of civil rights leaders, but should educate them about it,” he said.
Utah law allows parents to opt their children out of parts of the curriculum based on religious beliefs or right of conscience.
But a representative from the Utah State Board of Education told FOX13 that, “no student can be waived from state Social Studies Standards which include a focus on U.S. history, inequality and race relations.”
According to the Utah State Board of Education, only three of the 322 students at the academy are Black.
“I’m not exactly sure why anyone thought that they had to send out a document saying, you know, ‘I don’t want my child to participate in this activity,'” Jaime Tracey, a parent of a student at the school said. “That’s what the document says.” Its the first time in the seven years since her daughter has been attending the school that parents were given this option.
“You can’t opt out of black history. Black history is American history,” Lex Scott the founder of Black Lives Matter Utah said. “So, it absolutely comes from a place of racism and ignorance.”
Rebecca Bennett, another parent at the school reportedly wrote in a comment on Hirokawa’s Facebook post that she was “appalled to see the form sent out that allows parents to opt their kids out of this and to hear that this is all because some parents have requested it.”
“I echo others who are disappointed to hear this was even ever made an issue in the first place by some families in our school’s community,” she added.
