We talk constantly about the corrosive effect of DEI policies, CRT-drenched pedagogy, and woke indoctrination on colleges and corporate campuses alike. Less well known, however, is the reach of these ideological efforts on children in K-12 public schools. 

Earlier this week, I spoke with Isaac Newman through the coordination of the The Fairness Center, which has been supporting Newman in a fight with his own union. Newman teaches history to high-school students in Elk Grove, California, where he has seen education replaced with political indoctrination into DEI -- and students marginalized and radicalized to boot. 

Newman decided to push back in his school and asked his teacher's union to help him out. However, Newman discovered that his union was just as committed to imposing DEI in the schools as the district was, placing an even higher priority to woke indoctrination than in protecting members who dissent from the policies. 

To get a voice on these issues, Newman ran for an open seat on the union board. When he attempted to file the paperwork, the union told Newman that the seat was being reserved for a BIPOC candidate -- in other words, whites were excluded from competing. Newman has now filed a lawsuit against the NEA and CTA affiliate union for blatant discrimination:

In 2023, Elk Grove Education Association (EGEA) officials voted to create a “BIPOC At-Large” seat on its executive board. The EGEA’s statewide affiliate union, the California Teachers Association, reviewed and approved the board position later that year.

Newman, a decade-long union member, resolved to run for a board seat, but the union’s nomination form required him to check a box confirming that he identified as a member of one of several racial minority groups. Newman could not in good conscience check the box and was, therefore, unable to run for the board position.

“Teachers’ unions don’t get a pass from laws that prohibit racial discrimination,” said Nathan McGrath, president and general counsel for the Fairness Center, which represents Newman. “The Civil Rights Act explicitly forbids unions from discriminating based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin and from segregating members based on these attributes. Our client alleges that union officials violated state and federal law by preventing him from running for a union leadership position based on the color of his skin.”

The Fairness Center also sent this over to me separately on e-mail"

Notably, outside observers like Isaac's chances of success in court: A civil rights attorney told CBS Sacramento, "I would eat my hat if he loses this case." (video here)

And no less than Erwin Chemerinsky, law school dean at UC Berkeley and famed liberal legal scholar, told the left-leaning San Francisco Chronicle, “I think reserving a seat on the basis of race will be regarded by the courts as impermissible.”

As Isaac and I discuss, and as the link goes on to explain, this violates both federal and state law. Still, as late as Wednesday when we recorded this interview, the union has yet to respond to the lawsuit -- and shows no sign yet of backing down from its discriminatory practices, either. 

Below is the podcast interview, which goes a little over 30 minutes and gives a fascinating look at the case and Isaac himself. He's no troublemaker or natural activist, but someone who grew up in the same community -- the same school, even! -- and wants its children to receive a real education. It will take people like Isaac to step up to challenge and defeat this corrosive ideology, and support systems like the Fairness Center to help them win. Enjoy the conversation -- we'll get Isaac back to continue the discussion soon!

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