The Southern Poverty Law Center has spread its woke activist agenda in education to at least 169 school districts in 42 states, according to a new report, and the impact of teachers unions helps explain this expansive influence.
Learning for Justice, the SPLC’s education arm, promotes “social justice” activism, pushes racially divisive messaging, and advocates transgender ideology. The program, launched as “Teaching Tolerance” in the 1990s, dropped the emphasis on “tolerance” amid the Great Awokening in February 2021. Around that same time, the program removed its own impact statement from the website, which had previously bragged that “more than 500,000 educators” read its magazine, screened its films, visited its website, and used its curricula.
The parental rights group Defending Education exposed Learning for Justice’s broad influence in an exhaustive report Tuesday.
“Unbeknownst to parents, the Southern Poverty Law Center has been poisoning pupils’ minds around the country for years with its toxic curriculum,” Nicole Neily, the group’s president, told The Daily Signal. “SPLC lesson plans on issues such as queer theory, white privilege, and anti-racism have supplanted traditional coursework in history, social studies, and other core classes—teaching children to view themselves and others through the lens of identity politics, and that America is forever stained by its original sin.”
How did the SPLC spread its tentacles this far? America’s two largest teachers unions—the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers—help explain it, as does the American School Counselor Association.
“By promoting and integrating Learning for Justice content and standards into mental health programming and curricula, the teachers unions and ASCA are giving the far-left organization credibility,” Rhyen Staley, director of research at Defending Education, told The Daily Signal. “This is deeply troubling for a variety of reasons, especially since the SPLC has put parents on its ‘hate map’ for simply raising concerns with their local school districts.”
The SPLC gained its reputation by suing Ku Klux Klan groups into bankruptcy, but weaponized that history to smear conservatives and raise money. In 2023, it added Moms for Liberty, Defending Education, and other parental rights groups to the “hate map,” placing them alongside Klan chapters and calling them part of “the infrastructure upholding white supremacy.”
Last month, a federal grand jury indicted the SPLC on wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy charges for sending $3 million to KKK members. While the SPLC claimed it was paying “informants” to prevent violent attacks, the Justice Department says it was using donor cash to prop up the very “hate” it claims it exists to “dismantle.” The SPLC has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The SPLC enjoys undue influence in the media, in corporate America, and with a vast network of donors, so it stands to reason that Learning for Justice might achieve a broad impact. Even so, the boost from teachers unions and the American School Counselor Association can’t have hurt.
The Teachers Unions
The Defending Education report cites the National Education Association’s January 2021 “Racial Justice in Education” resource guide, which touts Teaching Tolerance as a “partner” and notes that the NEA partnered with Teaching Tolerance to “create a three-part webinar series” to help “address the climate issues.” The National Education Association claims 3 million members.
The association’s President Becky Pringle condemned the SPLC indictment.
“Civil rights organizations work to ensure we can live free from discrimination,” she wrote on Bluesky. “By indicting a group that fights bias and tracks extremists, Trump’s Department of Justice is abusing its power, making us less safe. They will stop at nothing to crush free speech and further hate.”
The National Education Association did not respond to The Daily Signal’s request for comment by publication time.
The American Federation of Teachers has promoted the SPLC program as far back as 2016, listing “Teaching Tolerance” as a resource on “school discipline.”
In a social media post, the federation’s President Randi Weingarten also condemned the indictment.
“It’s absurd but predictable [the SPLC] is being wrongfully targeted, an org that has documented hate & extremist groups for 50+ years,” she posted on Bluesky. She called the indictment “part of a coordinated attack on civil rights and an escalation of the campaign against those with whom this admin disagrees.”
The American Federation of Teachers has approximately 1.6 million members.
These unions, which have a well-documented leftist slant, enjoyed tremendous influence in the Biden administration.
The American Federation of Teachers did not respond to The Daily Signal’s request for comment by publication time.
The School Counselors
The Defending Education report also noted that the American School Counselor Association, which claimed in 2023 to have over 43,000 members across the country, incorporated the “Social Justice Standards” into its key documents.
The association modeled its Student Standards: Mindsets & Behaviors for Student Success and Student Standards Crosswalk on the SPLC materials.
Neither the NEA nor the AFT nor the ASCA nor the SPLC responded to The Daily Signal’s request for comment by publication time.
The American School Counselor Association did not respond to The Daily Signal’s request for comment by publication time.
A Rising Movement
Moms and dads across the country are taking a stand against the SPLC.
Republicans in Maryland have openly condemned the state’s “implicit bias training” that incorporated Learning for Justice materials. Courage is a Habit has exposed ASCA’s reliance on the SPLC. Lake Havasu Unified School District in Arizona has rooted out an education resource that directed students to avoid the websites of SPLC-smeared “hate groups.”
Last week, Moms for Liberty leader Rosalind Hanson spoke out at Montgomery County Public Schools, condemning MCPS’ use of the Social Justice Standards.
This Defending Education report will hopefully inspire more moms and dads to ask school boards to stop relying on the SPLC. They may find my book, “Making Hate Pay: The Corruption of the Southern Poverty Law Center,” a resource in this effort.
Tyler O’Neil is senior editor at the Daily Signal and the author of two books, “Making Hate Pay: The Corruption of the Southern Poverty Law Center” and “The Woketopus: The Dark Money Cabal Manipulating the Federal Government.”
Reprinted with permission from Daily Signal.
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AMAC or AMAC Action.
Of course a Democrat group would give money to the infamous KKK.
The KKK was started by the Democrats, the left. How sad that they were able to spread their evil prejudice in public schools. It just shows that we cannot let our guard down for any reason.
The only thing about unified schools is the corrupt unions that control them.
It is not surprising that only about 1/3 of America’s children are proficient in reading and math when their “teachers” put leftist propaganda ahead of the 3 R’s. There was a SCOTUS decision some years back that teachers need only pay the percent of their dues that actually involve collective bargaining but how many GOOD teachers know that? Butch Randi is a disgrace to the teaching profession if she ever actually taught anywhere. Like most union bosses, she lives way above the average teacher! These unions need to be decertified if that is possible!
The NEA and other teacher unions have been running the education system in this country as a dictator. They bought Autopen Biden with donation to his run for president. Union Money has been installing presidents for decades on the dem side. They are creating racism where none exist. SPLC wouldn’t be in business anymore if they didn’t supply the KKK with money to create racism tactics. That is where the money went. Not to school curriculum. Whatever was left over after they had doled out millions to subversive groups like the KKK the rest went to teachers to promote trans and gender reveal in schools. After all the NEA is run by one of them. They are all for pedophiles being teachers and poison the young minds of our children and grand children. They promote drag queens performing dances for 1 st graders. And a minority of brain dead parents think it is okay. Or they have been paid. The biggest example of how sick the democrats are is the woman who was attacked would not testify against her attacker because she didn’t want to put a black man in jail. So he was let go and killed a 77 year old man because of her so called empathy. These criminals have no empathy for their victims. She gave him a second chance and before you could say that was a stupid reasoning he killed. Racism wasn’t involved but the left make it racist when a black man is arrested for a crime. He was profiled. Not because of the color of his skin but for his crime. The illegals the same. The rhetoric coming from the left is totally insane. Some people cannot be saved nor rehabilitated. And with the culture coming from the left these people on the edge need only a little push to commit a crime. And once one committed they will do it again especially when the lefties make heroes out of them. Like George Floyd. He was already dying when they pulled him out of the car from an overdose of fentanyl and other drugs. But the left saw a chance. Then they killed Charlie Kirk and how they protected his murderer. There is no comparison between these two men. Only the democrats want to eliminate 77 million people who voted for Trump. It’s a civil war played out behind the scenes by you know who.
If a Teacher’s Union doesn’t focus on education(Reading, Writing, Math skills and History) of our kids, then it doesn’t need to exist. If these teachers feel the need to be activist, let them do it on their own time. Leave my kid alone.
The SPLC needs to be closed down bigtime!
Do our public schools still have, “Parent-teachers-meetings? My school did as I was raising my children, and believe me, those teachers were accountable, as well as we parents had to be. It really takes vigilance, and in our hurried world, parents have so much on their plates, just being a parent, the education they are paying for, is often left to the single school district’s reputation
If your child cannot read, or do basic math, age appropriate, then something else is going on in that classroom. All public schools are adequately funded, so no excuses.
Didn’t even read the article, I don’t need you I know how they did it. Democrat Marxists. If Democrats can’t run it they will destroy it! They will burn this nation to the ground just so they can rule over the ashes. They are pathological liars, truly the party of Satan
The inclusion of the word “Poverty” in their name has never, even in the beginning, made sense. They’ve never been anything than a branch of the civil rights industry, and a very financially healthy one. They jumped on the bandwagon with other such groups and rode all the way to the bank. And they’ve been milking the government cow ever since.
Oh, ” it’s for the children” BS!
teachers Unions, school districts & uniformed parents
The kids being indoctrinated are becoming parents and leaders in communities! This has to be stopped in schools before the US has no free thinking leaders left! Think of the uneducated children being food for the Morlloks in the movie The Time Machine! Are are future country going to be slaves to China, Russia, or Islam cuz they can’t function as adults? God have mercy on the USA!
The key word in this article is “unbeknownst”. Parents just don’t pay attention. My parents were present for every school board meeting, PTA gathering and visited classrooms, and teachers often. In other words they kept their hand in, eyes on, and ears open. I did the same in my years as a parent with school age kids…all the way through high school. Today, far to many parents just sit back and nearly ignore the education of their children. When problems come up they blame everyone (even the kid) before looking into the mirror. Teachers unions and other activist educational groups know this and capitalize on the weakness. Why would anyone be surprised that a leftist outfit is doing what they do….no one is watching.
The apathy among many parents is astounding. They have no idea what is going on in their kid’s schools and many of them are against any discipline in the classroom. Unfortunately, most of those parents are not reading informative articles such as this one! They are also apathetic about politics and only get any news from the big four networks that are nothing but mouth pieces for the lying, hate-filled Communists who have been running the public schools for decades. How do we get parents to pay attention and get involved??? They do not want to bother with it.
My father-in-law was a teacher, principal and school superintendent. This was before the unions took over. He said God help us if the unions ever get hold of our schools. It will totally destroy education in this country. Thankfully he did not live long enough to see his prediction reach fruition but he has probably been rolling over in his grave for years. If we can get rid of the teachers’ unions maybe he can finally rest in peace.
Someone needs to write the book, “How America was Destroyed from the Inside.” This is only one of many examples how America will be caused to crash and burn. Our enemies have infiltrated every institution in our country and will overthrow our society without firing a single shot. Then what? Invasion, slavery, raping, pillaging, murder and mayhem. America is sliding down the slippery slope heading for the scrap heap of history. When that happens, the rest of the world will not be far behind. America is the only stabilizing influence left in the world. When we’re gone, all hell will break loose. Patriotic Americans need to wake up and start fighting back. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” [A paraphrase or conflation of Edmund Burke’s actual words from Letters on a Regicide Peace (1796).]
Anyone who has the means should home school their children! Then they can learn what is the truth instead of revisionist history and sick leftist ideology!
Leftist commies expect people to be complicit and too busy to pay attention to what they’re doing to these new generations of kids. Why did the socialist/commies state many years ago that the United States will fall without firing a shot. Bring it down within. The new generation of sheeple won’t know what hit them !
We must deal with all of our enemies!
This is why it’s so important for parents to ask more open questions of their kids at the end of the school day or at dinner, if you’re lucky enough to have family dinners. It shouldn’t be – So, how did school go today? The only answer most kids have for that is “ok” and silence. I’m not exactly sure what those questions are, but maybe others on here have some ideas. My kids and grandkids(most were home schooled because of these problems) are over 18. But great-grands will be coming at some point! Best to be prepared.
SPLC is as crooked and corrupt as the democRAT party. Believe me”commies”,woke and marxism”ain’t gonna work”so get over it.If the leftists try to push marxism,if the muslims push islam and if the democRATS push their sick agenda,I would not rule out a civil war.There are many more patriots than the opposition is aware of.
If the kids go to school being indoctrinated they don’t need teacher, agitator will do, no need for teachers or their union, outcome will be the same. Why spend all that money, this propaganda was introduced in the 1990, ruined two generations , is on the third one, we pay for it. In China they are brainwashed, not at the expense of academics, perhaps our “teachers” should ask their chinese comrades how it is done, so our kids are not the dumbest of the lot.
The SPLC needs to be dismantled to never reorganize. I’m sure this is only ONE of the organizations that is doing this kind of thing. Hopefully the DOJ will continue to hunt them down. Great job! to the NEW and improved DOJ!
Amazing the critical issues facing families, freedoms, and our culture; all while our politicians dance the influence and power dance. We are not represented so much as we are merely assured of representation. We do not get reliable infrastructure for our tax money. That money is the piggy bank for politicians to spread around for votes. We need a reset on our government!
Homeschool. Today, not tomorrow!
This is how Russia’s Kushev (spelling??) said that Russia would destroy America — from the inside out. You can certainly see the decay that has happened since he spoke those words over our beloved nation.
“President Randi Weingarten. She called the indictment “part of a coordinated attack on civil rights and an escalation of the campaign against those with whom this admin disagrees.” No moron, it’s NOT campaign against those with whom this admin disagrees. It’s a campaign that most of the country voted for.
Evil Never Sleeps!!!!!!! That’s how.
This was not a movement, it was overt treason with a long term intent of overthrowing our constitution and forcing socialism on our nation. Jail her forever, along wiyh all of her corrupt lazy teachers!
I didn’t know they were doing all that ???? someone needs to go to jail.
Oh RANDI when are you going to stop screeching??? No one is really hearing you,so you have corralled the kids to indoctrinate them. Shame on you. I believe with all my heart and soul that kids do not need people like you to direct their EDUCATION!!!!! Raising soldiers for communism or socialism is a very bad idea.children need to be nurtured and exposed to beauty and tenderness at their mothers and fathers knee. I can’t believe that you are just so EVIL!!!!!!!! I ask that you step down from your position as Union Boss and change your ways. You can do better.
they did not smuggle anything
voters and parents wanted this
ignorant people that ALLOW someone else to do their job are the problem!
It always starts with the kids!
SPLC needs to shut down for good. Southern Democrats wanted to keep hate alive so they could make money off the donations. Shameful excuse for a non-profit corporations.
I am a retired teacher and a member of the UFT. Many teachers voted for Trump. But the UFT never canvases its membership before endorsing candidates. Randi Weingarten is a socialist-marxist who really does not care for teachers and students; they care about themselves.
When the mind gets twisted, it can be hard to straighten out. But then, just follow the money and the answers will come.
Many parents gave been negligible about what goes on in their children’s schools. They should be diligent in checking up on what their children are being taught. Get active in your children’s education instead of taking it for granted.
Send her to Nigeria to use their education system to make a peaceful productive society. Do not let her return to America until that is a verifiable reality.
moms For liberty looks like the kids who grew up blaming everyone for why they can’t read lol