CRT training can violate federal law: Obama appointed judge rules

Judge Wendy Beetlestone of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, an Obama appointee, ruled on Jan. 11 that former Professor at Penn State, Zack De Piero had solid grounds to proceed in his race discrimination lawsuit over critical race theory trainings at Penn State Abington. 

De Piero said the trainings are anti-white and one stated that "White Teachers are a Problem," according to the lawsuit. He sued for race discrimination after he was allegedly subjected to training that the English language is racist and the embodiment of "White supremacy," as well as many other verbal assaults against White people in professional development sessions and meetings, according to court documents as reported by Fox News Digital. He explained in an interview with the outlet in a Wednesday interview that the trainings caused him trauma because he "cannot get them out of his head."

"There's a constant ticker tape, like a newsreel. I see, I hear that disgusting evil phrase. ‘White teachers are a problem,'" he told Fox News Digital. "I wish I could get it out of my head, but I can't."

"I still wake up with this stuff. I still go to bed with this stuff. It still bothers me. It's changed me in a lot of ways. You often hear that hardship leads to greater character. While that might be true, it certainly comes at a cost," he said.

Judge Beetlestone said that discussing the "influence of racism on our society does not violate federal law." But when considering whether to allow the professor's suit to progress, she considered the type of CRT training used at Penn State Abington.

"Training on concepts such as… critical race theory can contribute positively… to form a healthy and inclusive working environment," she said. "But the way these conversations are carried out in the workplace matters: When employers talk about race — any race — with a constant drumbeat of essentialist, deterministic, and negative language, they risk liability under federal law."

De Piero "was individually singled out for ridicule and humiliation because of the color of his skin," according to the original lawsuit filed by the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism (FAIR).

When he complained about the problem that he referred to as "the continuous stream of racial insult directed at White faculty," he was told by the director of the Affirmative Action office that "There is a problem with the White race."  The administrator went on to say that the professor should attend "antiracist" workshops "until you get it."

Had the shoe been on the other foot, and the word 'White' be substituted with 'Black,' anyone with a pulse would realize how racist that sounds--because it is.

Some of the workshops included a presentation captioned "White Teachers are a Problem," according to the lawsuit.

"I see this as an ideological mob that is hostile to free speech, civil discourse, true debate, empirical data," the professor said.

From this writer's perspective,  CRT and DEI are not only anti-White, but they infantilize Black people and do it at the expense of hard working Blacks, other people of color, and White folks, by demanding equal outcomes and not equal opportunities.

That on its face is racist.

His direct report in the English department, Liliana Naydan, "expressed her view that racism practiced against White faculty and students is legitimate," according to the lawsuit. Naydan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

De Piero's lawsuit alleged that Naydan attempted to coerce school faculty to introduce equity into the grading process to ensure there were no disparities by "penaliz[ing] students academically on the basis of race." Which is, of course, the soft bigotry of low expectations, as Michael Gerson has pointed out.

Did I mention that this is racist policy?

Not surprisingly, the school refused to comment on "ongoing litigation," just like UPenn refused to comment on anti-Semitism as harassment and threats on campus.

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