Critical Race Theory infiltrating America’s 25 most elite private K-12 schools, according to new study

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Getting critical race theory out of public schools is harder than passing a law

Idaho was the first of nine states to pass an anti-CRT law and so far this new school year, some parents don’t see any change.

A website that features a database of information on critical race theory (CRT) curricula and training in higher education unveiled a new study Monday focusing on the controversial ideology infiltrating the top 25 most elite K-12 private schools in America. 

The project indicated that some schools openly admit to teaching CRT, while others are more subtle. Of the top 25 private schools, the database found that seven had some form of mandatory anti-racism training for students and a staggering 20 of 25 schools had some sort of curricular requirement change based off of anti-racism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), or critical race theory.

William Jacobson, the Cornell Law School professor who founded the conservative-leaning site Legal Insurrection, created CriticalRace.org earlier this year to track how the widely debated concept is permeating U.S. institutions. His new initiative covers the same information as the higher education database, with a focus on K-12 learning. 

WHAT IS CRITICAL RACE THEORY?

"Critical Race Theory is an elite ideology developed originally at Harvard Law School that has now spread in various forms and variations to K-12, corporations and government. The hyper-focus on and centering of race is contrary to the values of equality and treating people as individuals not mere group members," Jacobson told Fox News Digital. 

People talk before the start of a rally against "critical race theory" (CRT) being taught in schools at the Loudoun County Government center in Leesburg, Virginia on June 12, 2021. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / GETTY) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

"Forms of CRT, using euphemisms such as ‘antiracism’ and ‘equity,’ have deeply penetrated the most elite private K-12 schools," Jacobson continued. "Race has become an obsession at many of these schools, dominating the culture and even academics."

Jacobson hopes his database will prove helpful for prospective students and parents deciding which school to attend. The database currently focuses on the 25 most elite private schools in the country, as ranked by Niche in its recently released 2022 rankings. Jacobson expects it to expand to the top 50 private K-12 schools by the end of this year. 

In addition to cataloging CRT efforts, the website lists a series of resources purportedly "exposing the falsity and harm" caused by CRT.

WEBSITE LAUNCHED TO TRACK CRITICAL RACE THEORY TEACHING IN HIGHER EDUCATION

"That forms of CRT have so deeply penetrated the most elite private K-12 schools is a troubling development because, like it or not, these elite schools feed students into elite higher education and in turn, become future leaders in high tech, government, and journalism," Jacobson said. "What happens at these elite private K-12 schools matters to the country as a whole and our future as a society devoted to equality, not race-based classifications and conflict."

The database categorizes actions into nine different categories: Admissions policies, anti-racism/anti-bias training, curriculum requirements, disciplinary measures, political support, research/programming funding, policing, resources, and symbolic actions. 

Launched earlier this year, CriticalRace.org includes information on close to 400 colleges and universities. The new database of elite private schools includes information on Castilleja School, Choate Rosemary Hall, Collegiate School, Commonwealth School, Crystal Springs Uplands School, Deerfield Academy, Flintridge Preparatory School, Groton School, Harvard-Westlake School, Horace Mann School, Noble and Greenough School, Phillips Academy – Andover, Phillips Exeter Academy, Regis High School, Riverdale Country School, Rye Country Day School, St. Mark’s School Of Texas, St. Paul’s School, Stanford Online High School, The Brearley School, The College Preparatory School, The Hotchkiss School, The Lawrenceville School, The Nueva School and Trinity School. 

Niche named the schools the "best private high schools" in the country for 2022, citing a "rigorous analysis of key statistics and millions of reviews from students and parents." 

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CriticalRace.org is a project of the Legal Insurrection Foundation, a nonprofit devoted to campus free speech and academic freedom. 

Fox News’ Sam Dorman contributed to this report.