When they filed the case, this group of students, parents, and faculty asked the district court for a temporary order against H.B. 1775, barring the State from enforcing the Act until the lawsuit is resolved. On June 14, 2024, Judge Charles Goodwin granted, in part, this request. Judge Goodwin stopped the word “require” and concepts (c) and (d) from being enforced. Additionally, in response to questions from the district court, the Oklahoma Supreme Court clarified that the Act does not apply to university classrooms.
Both sides appealed Judge Goodwin’s order to the 10th Circuit. We asked for the 10th Circuit to stop enforcement of the entire law, while the state wanted the entire law to be enforceable. The 10th Circuit majority opinion granted the state’s request and allowed the entire law to be enforced. However, the majority opinion read the law narrowly, substantially limiting what H.B. 1775 bans.
Key Takeaways from the 10th Circuit's Ruling for K-12 Teachers:
- The Court said that H.B. 1775 prohibits school employees from teaching, or requiring teachers to teach, the eight prohibited concepts as correct principles.
- Educators may teach about the beliefs of current or historical public figures, historical events, social theories, or public policy.
- Teachers will only violate H.B. 1775 if they state that one of the prohibited concepts is factually correct.
- Teachers can still teach topics outlined in Oklahoma’s Academic Standards, as long as they do not endorse the prohibited concepts while doing so.
Any teacher or school experiencing an enforcement action under HB 1775 should contact us at intake@acluok.org.
