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Resident urges district to remove diversity policies, proposes Orwell required reading
Summary
A member of the public urged the board to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion policies, proposed assigning George Orwell's 1984 as required reading for upperclassmen and asked for a formal study of propaganda; the speaker cited federal civil rights law and a Department of Education directive.
Chad Bishop of Sioux Falls addressed the board during the public comment period and asked the district to remove policies and language related to diversity, equity and inclusion.
“Finally I'd like to briefly echo my prior statements on reciprocal inequality,” Bishop said, and later called for “complete and permanent elimination of all language and policies supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion from the Sioux Falls school district.” Bishop said his request aligns with “federal civil rights law and the recent Department of Education directive.”
Bishop also renewed a prior suggestion that George Orwell’s 1984 and the novel Bridlem Farm (as stated by the speaker) be required reading for juniors and seniors, and urged the board to “incorporate a formal study of propaganda into the social studies curriculum lesson plans.” Bishop said he has been in contact with the high school curriculum coordinator about AP African American studies and thanked that staff member for a prior response.
Bishop framed his remarks with references to authors and scholars, saying disparities “often reflect broader societal trends and choices” rather than automatic evidence of discrimination; he urged hiring on “merit, skills, passion, and dedication over chasing demographic parity.”
Board members did not announce action in response to the comment during the meeting. The remarks were made during the nonagenda public comment portion of the meeting.
