Reject harmful school censorship, protect educational freedom

HR 5303: The "NOT in Our Schools Act" - A Threat to Educational Freedom This proposed legislation, HR 5303 titled the "NOT in Our Schools Act," threatens to withhold desperately needed federal funding from public schools across the nation if they are deemed to violate vaguely defined state laws around materials "harmful to minors." In practice, this could restrict access to educational resources covering LGBTQ+ topics, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and factual curricula addressing sexuality and gender - all critical components of a well-rounded, modern education. Cutting funds over such subjective criteria would be a severe detriment to millions of students. We cannot allow ideological censorship to overrule academic freedom and evidenced-based curricula. Public schools must be empowered to provide comprehensive education rooted in facts, not have their funding jeopardized over disagreements on complex social issues. This bill imposes an unacceptable federal overreach into local education decisions.