A school in Utah has been criticized this week for allowing its students to opt-out of Black History Month during February.
According to NBC News, the controversy began when Micah Hirokawa, director of the Maria Montessori Academy in Ogden, Utah, took to the school’s official Facebook page on Friday, February 5.
In an official statement, Hirokawa explained that he had sent out a letter explaining that students were allowed to exercise their right not to take part in the civil rights event after certain parents objected to its inclusion in the school curriculum.
According to the local news outlet The Standard-Examiner, the post immediately garnered criticism from both parents and civil rights organizations alike.
Per The Standard-Examiner, one comment read: "I was appalled to see the form sent out that allows parents to opt their kids out of this and to hear that this is all because some parents have requested it."
Meanwhile, someone else wrote: "I echo others who are disappointed to hear this was even ever made an issue in the first place by some families in our school’s community."
However, as a result of the backlash, The Standard Examiner reports that the school has made a U-turn ruling on the decision, and has issued a new statement claiming that participating in Black History Month is now mandatory.
In it, Hirokawa stated:
"We are grateful that families that initially had questions and concerns have willingly come to the table to resolve any differences and at this time no families are opting out of our planned activities and we have removed this option.
"In the future, we will handle all parental concerns on an individual basis.
"We should not shield our children from the history of our Nation, the mistreatment of its African American citizens, and the bravery of civil rights leaders, but should educate them about it."
Per NBC, Hirokawa added that opting out of the educational program went against his personal beliefs, as his great-grandparents were in a Japanese internment camp in the second world war.
Commenting on the issue in a statement made to USA Today, President of the Ogden National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Betty Sawyer stated:
"Authentically teaching Black History as American History allows our youth to develop the social and emotional skills necessary to be inclusive of others and cultivates a society in which all individuals have equal rights without discrimination based on race. While this decision was recently reversed, we find its very consideration troubling."