UPDATE: The Ohio Board of Education has voted to rescind a resolution that condemns racism.

The resolution, passed last year in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, called for equity and opportunity for students of color.

In a 10-7 vote, the board replace it with a resolution that would, in the words of board members, promote academic excellence for all K-12 students without prejudice or respect to race or ethnicity.

COLUMBUS (WCMH) – The Ohio State Board of Education is considering getting rid of a resolution condemning racism.

The original resolution, passed last year in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, called for equality and opportunity for students of color.

There was a lot of debate among the state board last summer when the resolution was passed, with some members accusing it of being motivated by politics, while others complained it was too vague.

The resolution condemned racism in Ohio’s schools while also calling for advancements in opportunity and equality for students of color.

To start that process, the resolution called for Ohio’s educators to undergo implicit bias training, identifying how they might be biased against students of color in ways they’re not aware of.

Some Ohioans have pushed back against this, including some who testified at the board’s meeting Wednesday, comparing the requirement to critical race theory.

“We must stop it in its tracks and remove it from Ohio and our country or will continue to consume us and move us all to atheism and Marxism,” said Beavercreek resident Dennis Crouch. “We will have lost America if we continue on the path we’re on right now.”

In response to some of that criticism, the board is looking at a resolution that would promote excellence for all K-12 students with, in the board’s words, no prejudice or respect for race or ethnicity.

Some educators feel that would be a step back and be a different type of racism known as colorblindness.

“Instead of being blind to color, colorblindness is blind to racism and promotes the ideology that racial equity and equality have been attained,” said Mona Bailey, with Brookville Local Schools. “Putting this ideology into practice in a still racist world would only result in more racism.”

The discussion on the resolution began at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday and as of 5:45, was continuing. The board has heard testimony from more than two dozen public speakers at this point.