The Oklahoma State Board of Education approved temporary rules designed to enforce the intent of House Bill 1775 that forbids teaching in public schools that one race or sex is inherently superior or that someone is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive because of their race or sex.

Any district or school that doesn’t follow the new rules could have their accreditation downgraded to “Accredited with Deficiency” and they will get a year to change their course.

And the Oklahoma Department of Education could suspend the license of any public school teacher who breaks the rules.

A spokesman for Tulsa Public Schools reportedly said that district has no plans to change their curriculum in response to the new rules.

“We are teaching our children an accurate — and at times painful, difficult, and uncomfortable — history about our shared human experience,” TPS spokeswoman Emma Garrett-Nelson said.

“We cannot and will not teach those histories and experiences that reflect only the dominant white culture, just as we cannot and will not provide an education that deprives children of a true and accurate understanding of the world in which they live.”

The new law doesn’t prohibit the teaching of Oklahoma history but it does indirectly ban Critical Race Theory, which had been infiltrating public schools through curriculum adjustments directly to teachers.

Black Democrats in the Legislature criticized the new law and the new rules and voiced support for Critical Race Theory.

“Limiting the ability of Oklahoma teachers and students to have thoughtful conversations about race and diversity opens up the door for us to repeat the mistakes of the past,” said Rep. Jason Lowe, D-Oklahoma City. “We cannot place the comfort of a few over the lived experiences of people of color, who have no choice but to face the ugly truth of bias and discrimination.

“To the board members who are responsible for the education of our students, does your decision to implement these rules make it more or less likely that the next generation of Oklahomans will be prepared to navigate an increasingly multicultural society?”

“This rule change is not only unnecessary but also dangerous,” said Rep. Monroe Nichols, D-Tulsa. “The children in our schools represent the state that we as adults are leaving behind. We should empower Oklahoma students to not repeat the atrocities that exist in history books and are still felt today but to end them. We start that process by teaching them why those atrocities exist. This rule hampers an educator’s ability to do that.”

“The decision by the Oklahoma Board of Education gives me great pause, as this is not the message we want to send to our educators,” said Sen. George Young, D-Oklahoma City. “I am greatly disappointed that leadership has decided their only recourse is to swiftly coordinate some new rules to satisfy a few. As leaders, we know that a hurried response never garners the best outcomes.  Oklahoma is better than this.”

“This is a dangerous law and these concepts are not even being taught in any K-12 classroom course,” said Rep. Regina Goodwin, D-Tulsa. “Accurate, factual history regarding race and sex at times is uncomfortable, yet is worthy of learning.”