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Public commenters clash over curriculum, 'woke' rhetoric and inclusivity at Catawba County school-board meeting
Summary
Two public speakers urged the board to remove what they called "toxic ideologies," citing critical race theory and social-emotional learning; other commenters and the board challenged those claims and urged evidence-based review.
During public comment at the Jan. 27 Catawba County Board of Education meeting, several speakers debated the presence and handling of curriculum issues including critical race theory, social-emotional learning and broader inclusion efforts.
Charlie Shepherd, a public commenter, told the board that he believes public schools have "welcomed and most recently promoted toxic ideologies" such as "Marxism, socialism, critical theory, DEI, and social emotional learning," and urged the board to make quick changes. "These are discriminatory on their face," Shepherd said, adding that he views the content as a moral problem and that fresh board membership offers a chance for change.
Board members sought specifics; one member asked Shepherd to cite sources and give concrete examples of curriculum or contractor materials. Shepherd said he could provide examples later and the chair asked him to email the board with specifics.
Lawrence Wiedemann and other commenters pushed back on campaign rhetoric used during recent elections. Wiedemann encouraged new board members to use facts and homework rather than fear‑driven campaign claims, saying one newly elected member had campaigned against the teaching of critical race theory but produced no evidence that CRT was being taught. Wiedemann referenced House Bill 187 as a legislative response to concerns about CRT and said he challenged the campaign claims to produce proof.
Aaron Schirmayer urged the board to serve all students and warned against narrowing the district's focus. "You serve all of them, the ones that are at every race, every socioeconomic status, every belief system," Schirmayer said, and called for continued support for arts and language-immersion programs, stronger anti‑bullying efforts and higher pay for teachers.
The board listened and asked public commenters to provide sources for specific allegations. No formal curricular action or policy change was taken during the meeting; the board recorded the comments and asked for follow-up details from speakers who asserted specific instances of problematic curriculum or materials.
