Virginia Bill Would Restrict Jan. 6 Teaching

Adriana Stone 0 1 min read

Virginia Bill Would Restrict Jan. 6 Teaching

Virginia lawmakers are weighing a bill that sets strict rules for how schools must teach January 6, 2021. The proposal tells educators what language they can and cannot use. It also sets a required frame for the event.

Under the draft language, any class or program that covers January 6 would be prohibited from portraying the events as a peaceful protest. It would bar suggesting that claims of election fraud in 2020 are credible. And it would require teachers to describe January 6 as an “unprecedented violent attack on United States democratic institutions and representatives for the purpose of overturning the results of the 2020 election.”

That is a tight definition. It would limit how teachers explain motivations, testimony, or the broader context of that day. Supporters say it prevents revisionist versions of history. Critics say it narrows discussion and chills debate in classrooms.

Families of people who were at the Capitol have spoken up. Their voices are part of the debate. Here is one of those messages as shared publicly:

MICKI WITTHOEFT, MOTHER OF ASHLI BABBITT shared this Jan 6 at the Capitol: My daughter Ashli was shot without warning by police on January 6th. The officer with a decades-long disciplinary record should’ve been fired, not promoted and rewarded.

Ashli was a decorated veteran with four tours in the Middle East who served her country her whole life. I miss her every day. Thank you to those remembering Ashli and saying her name.

Other voices stress ongoing consequences for defendants and their families. One post reads exactly as follows:

“THE PERSECUTION IS FAR FROM OVER” FOR J6’ERS
@sarahmcabee_us says January 6 defendants returned home to “broken families” and lost livelihoods, adding: “It is not over.” She calls for restoring rights, pardons for the remaining 12, and accountability for what families endured. @SITGFoundation

The bill has drawn responses from elected officials too. Some call the measure necessary to protect democratic institutions. Others call it government overreach into classroom discussion.

Debate will likely center on free speech in schools, educational standards, and how to balance truth-telling with civic instruction. Lawmakers will weigh whether a single mandated description helps students or harms honest classroom inquiry.

Read the public posts and tweets below for the direct-source material being cited in the debate:

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