Gov. Youngkin rips Black Lives Matter curriculum as ‘politically-driven'

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Harvard University professor blasts 'fake journalist' Chris Rufo for objecting to Critical Race Theory

Ivy league professors trashed GOP critics of Critical Race Theory and specifically took aim at Christopher Rufo.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin, R., blasted a curriculum pushed by a program associated with the Black Lives Matter movement, according to a report.

The Virginia Education Association (VEA), a teachers union, released a toolkit that pushes an initiative called the Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action, an event started by teachers in Seattle in 2016. The event is a week-long focus on the 13 Guiding Principles of the Black Lives Matter movement in schools which is set for Feb. 6-10 this year.

The organization’s 13 principles include "transgender affirming," "queer affirming," "restorative justice" and "globalism." 

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A Black Lives Matter sign is seen at Black Lives Matter Plaza on the one-year anniversary of George Floyd's death on May 25, 2021 in Washington, D.C.  (Photo by Chen Mengtong/China News Service)

The VEA’s director of human and civil rights released a statement with the toolkit saying "Enclosed is Virginia Education Association’s Black Lives Matter at School Toolkit to be used as a resource guide for advancing racial justice in Virginia’s schools. Black Lives Matter at School is a national coalition organizing for racial justice in education."

They added, "All educators, students, parents, unions, and community organizations are encouraged to join their annual week of action during the first week of February."

Youngkin’s office said the VEA is trying "inject politically-driven curriculum" in schools. 

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"Gov. Youngkin is empowering parents, restoring excellence in education, and has removed critical race theory from Virginia’s schools," Youngkin spokeswoman Macaulay Porter told The Daily Signal. "The VEA—the same union that kept schools shuttered and students at home during the pandemic—is now attempting to inject a politically-driven curriculum toolkit in an effort to teach kids to discriminate against one another based off their color, gender, race, or background." 

"This will not be tolerated," she added.

Documents show that an Arizona high school counselor is coaching staff to obtain students’ secret genders, a process that appears to have been kept undercover from parents. (Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

The controversial lens expressed in the training is called critical race theory, which holds that America is and was always structurally racist; CRT adds that the U.S. was designed from its start to systematically oppress minority groups in order to uphold systems of power for the dominant culture or White racial group. CRT also maintains an oppressor versus oppressed lens of society and classifies people into groups based on supposed "privilege." 

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Among the nine executive orders Youngkin signed on his first day of office, was ending the use of Critical Race Theory in schools and appointing an education secretary who would remove "politics from the classroom."

Youngkin's first appointment to his administration was education secretary, Aimee Rogstad Guidera. He said at the time that she "will be a critical partner in restoring expectations of excellence … and standing for a curriculum that prepares Virginia’s children for a dynamic future and removes politics from the classroom."

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s office told Fox News Digital on Thursday that an alarming update to a Richmond Times-Dispatch report is why "people don’t trust the media."  (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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Critical Race Theory was also a key issue in the race with Youngkin responding to complaints about the controversial curriculum being embedded in Virginia schools by promising to remove it and give parents a larger say in what is taught to their children. Youngkin's opponent, former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, dismissed parent concerns telling them that Critical Race Theory was not being taught and saying, "I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach."

Fox News Digital reached out to the VEA for comment, but they did not immediately respond.

Fox News' Hannah Grossman contributed to this report.