School board meeting gets heated after critical race theory concerns raised

XENIA — Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story indicated meeting attendees that voiced support for school board member Jeremy Cox’s concerns were parents with students in the district. A Xenia Community Schools spokesperson told News Center 7 Wednesday that the attendees who did voice support for his concerns are not parents with students enrolled in the Xenia district.

A local school board meeting got heated Monday night after the district put the topic of Critical Race Theory (CRT) on the agenda.

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As reported Tuesday on News Center 7 Daybreak, the school board meeting got heated.

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Xenia Community Schools board member Jeremy Cox claimed race theory is being taught in the classroom.

Superintendent Gabriel Lofton responded to this claim in a letter to district families, “Xenia Community Schools solely utilizes curriculum that is age appropriate and in alignment with Ohio State Standards… To be entirely clear, Critical race Theory is not being taught now and has not been taught in the past.”

Some meeting attendees shared Cox’s concern.

“CRT is going on there,” one speaker said during the public comment portion of the meeting. “They’ve had parents that have complained and said, ‘What’s going on?’ I’m sure that alarms you. It may not be in every room and we’re glad for that. But we don’t want a dangerous or divisive curriculum in any of our classes.”

Those attendees who voiced support for Cox’s concern do not have students that attend Xenia schools, a district spokesperson told News Center 7.

Some attendees agreed with Lofton and said CRT is not being taught at Xenia Community Schools.

“I know this has been debated ad nauseam, repeatedly debunked. “We really ought to put this to bed,” another mom said. “It is not being taught at Xenia Community Schools.”

We will update this story.

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