Segregation rhetoric has no place in NH schools
Recent statements released by the New Hampshire House Republican Office in response to concerns about school segregation deserve serious public scrutiny.
Rather than clearly rejecting the idea of segregated schools or reaffirming a commitment to inclusive public education, the statement framed “self-segregation” as a political strategy and suggested that families should separate themselves into ideologically aligned schools. It went on to imply that academic success suffers when schools prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion.
This kind of rhetoric is deeply troubling. Public schools exist to serve all children, regardless of background, identity or political beliefs. Federal civil rights laws, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, exist precisely because exclusion and discrimination in education have caused lasting harm to students and communities.
When leaders speak in ways that normalize division instead of unity, they weaken public trust and undermine the purpose of public education itself. New Hampshire families deserve leadership that brings people together, values every student, and clearly affirms that our schools should be places of opportunity, not separation.
Silence or deflection in the face of rhetoric like this is not neutrality. It is acceptance.