A group of teachers and students in Arkansas is suing the state over a law that was used to restrict an advanced placement African American studies course. They say the law is vague and creates a chilling effect because it tries to limit how race is talked about in classrooms.

Ruthie Walls, a history teacher at Central High School in Little Rock, is one of a handful of educators who teach AP African American Studies. Last August she was preparing for the school year, when she found out her class was canceled by the state.

“No one wants to get news like that,” she said. “I was taken off guard and I had to continue with the day.”

Plaintiffs discuss ongoing lawsuit against Arkansas critical race theory ban

*Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate*
From left front: Gisele Davis, Chandra Williams-Davis, Ruthie Walls, Sadie Belle Reynolds and Jennifer Reynolds are five of the seven plaintiffs challenging Section 16 of the Arkansas LEARNS Act in federal court.

KUAR | By Antoinette Grajeda / Arkansas Advocate

From the Arkansas Advocate:

A federal judge on Wednesday scheduled a preliminary injunction hearing for April 30 in a case challenging the constitutionality of a portion of the LEARNS Act that bans “indoctrination” in public schools.

Little Rock Central High School parents, students and a teacher involved in an AP African American Studies pilot course that received scrutiny for potentially violating the “indoctrination” ban, filed the lawsuit in late March against Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Education Secretary Jacob Oliva.

In Wednesday’s order, U.S. District Judge Lee Rudofsky said he granted in part and denied in part the plaintiffs’ request for an “expedited briefing and consideration.” He denied part of the request because plaintiffs could have filed their complaint and preliminary injunction months ago, he wrote.

Federal judge schedules hearing in Arkansas LEARNS lawsuit