A state attorney general says welcoming children of all races is illegal ideology | Opinion
The right-wing crusade against anything they think has a whiff of “wokeness” has reached ridiculous levels.
The attorney general of Idaho believes in his legal opinion that a sign with the message “Everyone is Welcome Here” along with hands of different skin tones is an illegal expression of political ideology.
According to a story by Idaho Education News, Attorney General Raul Labrador sent his legal opinion to the Idaho Department of Education, which was crafting guidelines for school districts in preparation for a new state law that goes into effect July 1.
The Department of Education specifically asked Labrador about the “Everyone is Welcome Here” signs that were displayed in the West Ada School District classroom of Sarah Inama, who was told to remove the signs because, she was told, they violated district policy concerning political neutrality.
Labrador said they violate the new law.
“These signs are part of an ideological/social movement which started in Twin Cities, Minnesota following the 2016 election of Donald Trump,” according to the attorney general. “Since that time, the signs have been used by the Democratic party as a political statement. The Idaho Democratic Party even sells these signs as part of its fundraising efforts.”
First of all, the Minnesota signs, which said “All are welcome here” but look nothing like the West Ada signs, were in response not to Trump’s election but to racist graffiti at a local high school following the presidential election, according to a 2017 local TV news story cited by Labrador, himself.
This is not an “ideological/social movement.” This is simply an effort to make sure that every child — regardless of race — feels welcome at school in the face of racist bullies who sought to make some students feel unwelcome. It’s the kind of thing we have the right to expect school officials to do to protect our children when we entrust them with their education.
Second, the Idaho Democratic Party didn’t start selling the signs until March 25 — after Inama was told to remove the signs from her classroom, according to Idaho Ed News. Further, many others without political affiliation also distributed signs and T-shirts. The message resonated well beyond any political statement or affiliation. The Idaho Republican party holds “Lincoln Day” fundraisers every year; does than mean we ought to ban portraits of the 16th president from our classrooms?
Labrador’s suggestion is preposterous and just shows how the far right is jumping at shadows, when a teacher’s message to her students that all children are welcome at school is perceived as an “ideological/social movement.”
Of course, Labrador is just following the Republican playbook that’s running all over the country: attack diversity, equity and inclusion programs, erase the achievements of minorities and roll back any efforts to recognize and lift up historically marginalized Americans.
Near total Republican support
The new Idaho law, House Bill 41, passed the House with near total Republican support and total Democratic opposition in the House. It passed the Senate with unanimous Republican support and unanimous Democratic opposition. Gov. Brad Little signed it into law.
The law — and the Department of Education’s pained and painful attempts at telling school districts how to implement it — shows the folly of trying to control speech through government regulation.
The law prohibits the display of banners or flags that represent “political, religious, or ideological views, including but not limited to political parties, race, gender, sexual orientation, or political ideologies . . . ”
That pretty much covers just about anything and everything you could possibly hang on a wall.
Making matters worse, the law doesn’t even define some of the terms.
That sent the Department of Education to the dictionary to try to define the words, “view,” “expression” and “ideology.”
What is defined in the statute is the word “banner,” or “a long, rectangular, or square piece of fabric, paper, or other material, often displayed in a vertical or horizontal manner, used to convey a message, symbol, emblem, or representation of an institution or a political, religious, or ideological expression, or used to announce or celebrate an event or achievement.”
Make the poster a circle. Problem solved.
Clearly spelling out legislative intent through definitive language is so important. Leaving it up to someone’s discretion doesn’t work in the current political climate.
But this is also yet another example of the state meddling in local issues with top-down edicts. Even if West Ada is wrong — which it is — it is still better to leave it in the hands of the most affected students, parents, staff, patrons and the government that’s closest to the people, in this case, the school board.
West Ada likely wouldn’t have acted if it wasn’t for the threat of the state withholding funds for supposed woke indoctrination.
One day, some years from now, people are going to look back at this whole shameful episode and wonder why Idaho’s Republican legislators, governor and attorney general all wanted to make a teacher’s sign that says “Everyone is Welcome Here” against the law.
This story was originally published July 8, 2025 at 5:20 AM with the headline "A state attorney general says welcoming children of all races is illegal ideology | Opinion."