An anti-Critical Race Theory education organization and several of its staff members were suspended by Twitter after a teachers union member reported the accounts. Twitter lifted the organization's suspension Friday afternoon, following an appeal.
Chalkboard Review, an education website that publishes commentary on education and frequently criticizes the teaching of CRT, was suspended Thursday without notice, just one month after the National Education Association sent a letter to social media companies urging them to censor speech targeting the controversial doctrine.
In addition to CR's account receiving a suspension, several of its team members – including its scheduling editor and two members of its social media team – were also suspended by the social media giant. CR's social media director was suspended despite not making any Twitter posts on their personal account for a month.
Tony Kinnett, CR's co-founder and executive director, told Townhall that it was "truly dumbfounding" to see CR's Twitter account suspended without an email or notification after "over a year of hard work providing an outlet for teachers to publish diverse perspectives."
He also explained that he never believed that CR's suspension was a mistake given NEA's letter and the suspension of multiple CR staff members.
A Twitter spokesperson claimed that the CR account was initially hit with a permanent suspension for violating the platform's rules on ban evasion. Kinnet denied his organization violated any of Twitter's cited rules.
But Friday afternoon, following a suspension appeal, CR's Twitter account was restored, with the social media company telling CR in an email that the account was unsuspended as it "does not appear to be in violation of the Twitter Rules."
NEA regional board member Emilie McKiernan later admitted to reporting CR's Twitter account.
There you have it. The suspension of @ChalkboardRev was a coordinated attack by @NEAToday.
— Tony Kinnett (@TheTonus) February 4, 2022
Teachers unions are attempting to silence ideological diversity. pic.twitter.com/qiS10wcPmL
McKiernan made her account private as of Friday night.
But CR's staff members who received suspensions remain suspended following failed attempts to appeal.
"We aren't fully reinstated until my Social Media director, Scheduling Editor, and my social media team members ... are unsuspended," Kinnett told Townhall.