BOISE, Idaho — As the Idaho Senate met to debate and ultimately pass House Bill 377, a bill that would "establish provisions regarding dignity and nondiscrimination in public education" and "prohibit the expenditure of moneys for certain purposes," students of all ages gathered outside the Capitol building in hopes of having their voices heard.
The rally was put on by the Idaho Asian-American Pacific Islander Youth Alliance.
Boise State Vice President of Academic Affairs Graf Kirk said this bill will only silence students.
"What they want to do is protect students from having their viewpoints changed, from being pressured by their educators," Kirk said. "The thing is, educators are very careful about introducing them to ways to think and not what to think. There have been multiple times I've reached out to fellow students and asked them frankly how they feel about education in our state. This problem that we're hearing, the stories that are driving this narrative, they don't exist."
Yvonne Shen, a very ambitious eighth-grader, echoed that sentiment, stating H.B. 377 will eliminate academic freedom under the name of indoctrination that does not exist.
"As students, this greatly affects us because we will no longer be taught the true history of our country under the idea that it's too offensive for some people to handle," she said. "This history of our country may not be the most beautiful, but it's crucial for us to learn about it so we can so we can learn from our mistakes that were made in the past and move forward."
H.B. 377 ultimately passed the Senate 27-8 and now heads to Gov. Brad Little's desk.
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