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After working for more than a decade in schools outside of Washington, D.C., Emily Mais and her family moved to Albemarle County in Virginia in search of a simpler life and a close-knit community.
The public schools in Albemarle had an excellent reputation. And that made it a perfect fit for Emily because she was a teacher and administrator. In fact, for as long as she can remember, all Emily wanted to be was an elementary school teacher.
In October 2018, she began working as Assistant Principal of Agnor-Hurt Elementary School in Charlottesville, Virginia.
She had no idea that she’d be turning to Alliance Defending Freedom three short years later. She’s filed a lawsuit after being forced out of her job because she questioned the school district’s program, rooted in critical race theory (CRT), that scapegoats, stereotypes, and divides people based on race.
Emily is one of a growing number of teachers across the nation who are finding themselves harassed and punished because they dissent from radical CRT-based policies.
Will you help defend Emily and others like her by giving $25, $50, $75, $150, or more today?
Are you on the bus?
In 2019 and 2020, the Albemarle County School District introduced a controversial policy and mandatory teacher training based on critical race theory.
The goal was laudable-to eliminate “all forms of racism.”
But it produced the opposite result. And what happened to Emily is exhibit A.
The school district introduced this policy and training just as public schools returned to in-person learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers and administrators were balancing a whole host of new challenges, including adhering to health and safety rules and helping students who had fallen behind during virtual learning.
Not only could the policy and training have not come at a worse time, but Emily had massive concerns with what they taught.
Emily witnessed firsthand how the training actually instructed teachers to be racist. It taught them to view each other and their students solely through the lens of race.
Emily believes that every person is made in the image of God, deserving to be treated equally and with respect.
During the teacher trainings, she also saw how white staff members who wanted to participate were shut down or dismissed. In fact, all staff members were encouraged to “speak their truth.” But when white staff members did speak up, they were told by facilitators that they couldn’t possibly understand the topic because of the color of their skin.
They were dismissed and harassed based on their race.
During the trainings, it was suggested that anyone who opposed the new policy was racist. One administrator said teachers needed to consider whether they were on the “antiracism school bus, or if you need help finding your seat and keeping your seat, or if it’s time for you to just get off the bus.”
Even more disturbing: When parents expressed concerns about the curriculum at a school board meeting, an assistant superintendent said in a meeting the next day that he received the parents’ comments as if they were slave owners who had raped his mother and sister, beaten him, and were now telling him not to talk about it.
Emily could not believe the growing hostility of the culture within the school system. But when she made one small slip of the tongue, she found out just how nasty things could get.
When that happened, Emily turned to ADF for help. Will you stand with her by making a gift right now to help fuel her legal defense-and the defense of other Americans like her?
The shaming of Emily Mais
The group discussed the school district’s race-related hiring practices during one training session.
Emily made a comment on the topic, intending to use the phrase “people of color.” But, she accidentally said “colored” instead. She immediately apologized-profusely and repeatedly-but one staff member wouldn’t accept her apology and proceeded to berate her in front of the entire group.
After this, abuse rained down on Emily for months.
Again and again, she was accused of being a racist for this slip of the tongue. No apology would ever satisfy. Other employees openly cursed about her and called her vulgar names at work, including “white racist b-ch.”
Some coworkers came to Emily in tears about what was happening to her. But they dared not support her in public for fear of what would happen to themselves.
When Emily had simply had enough and was not willing to endure the abuse any longer, she left her job-a job that she loved.
But before she could leave, administrators orchestrated a final apology meeting to further humiliate, shame, and traumatize Emily for her slip of the tongue.
The message was clear for other employees: This is the type of punishment you can expect if you dare question the new radical, CRT-based training program-which is racist at its core.
With a gift today, you can help defend people like Emily and empower others to stand up to speech-squelching, racist policies like the one in Albemarle County.
Make a difference for Emily today
Emily was retaliated against for her speech, discriminated against for her point of view, and subjected to a work environment bitterly divided by race.
Teachers like her don’t surrender their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse doors-or when schools adopt radical, racist policies.
But this is happening to a growing number of teachers and other Americans across the country.
That’s why your gift today of $25, $50, $75, or even $150 is so important.
Emily is taking a stand to not only correct the injustice against her, but to encourage the other teachers and parents who have been vilified for speaking the truth.
She loved her job and received glowing review after glowing review. She believed in fairness for everyone. She took great pride in serving families.
It wasn’t enough.
Your gift today will take a stand against the indoctrination of our public school students in critical race theory and other divisive ideologies-and for the teachers like Emily who dissent, only wanting to do what’s best for her students.
Every child deserves to be treated equally and fairly.
Students in some public schools are being indoctrinated in the teachings of a radical ideology sometimes called “critical theory” or “critical race theory.”
Children are being told that:
- They are “oppressed” or an “oppressor””—good or bad—based solely on the color of their skin.
- Their race determines their outcome in life.
- The American system of government must be replaced.
CRT, an offshoot of Critical Theory, cynically views rights and freedoms—like free speech—as mere tools for the “powerful” to control the “oppressed.”
Students and teachers who dissent from these race-based indoctrination programs are threatened with punishment..
This isn’t just happening in big-city schools. It’s not just in certain states. It’s all over the nation. And it’s a problem that should concern us all.
Schools shouldn’t be ideological battlegrounds. No child should be indoctrinated. Especially not in theories that tell them should be treated differently because of the color of their skin.
Racism is wrong. Every person is created in the image of God and deserving of equal treatment and respect.
But the solution to racism isn’t more (or different) racism.
The U.S. Constitution forbids racially discriminatory treatment of students, as do state constitutions and state laws. Schools with policies that promote racism are in direct violation of the law.
With the help of Ministry Friends like you, Alliance Defending Freedom is challenging these tools of indoctrination in public schools, including by:
- Filing a lawsuit against the Albemarle County School Board in Virginia on behalf of multiple families for its racist and discriminatory policy.
- Filing a second lawsuit against the Albemarle School Board for creating a racially hostile work environment that forced an assistant principal to leave her job.
More lawsuits are on their way to fight this problem that students nationwide are facing.
But this is no small undertaking. We need your help to fight these crucial cases to victory.
With a gift today, you can help fund this multi-pronged legal strategy designed to stop the indoctrination of kids in radical ideologies and protect the rights of parents to direct the upbringing of their religious freedom, free speech, and the rights of parents..
Please give today!