The “Teacher Witch Trials”: Teachers understandings and experiences through the attacks on critical race theory in education

This study examines the experiences and understandings of elementary and secondary teachers in the United States amid heightened political and social scrutiny surrounding Critical Race Theory (CRT) in education. Using the Salem Witch Trials as an analytic heuristic, the study explores how contemporary accusations of “indoctrination” and “divisiveness” function to produce moral panic, professional surveillance, and risk for educators committed to addressing race and racism. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 35 practicing teachers conducted between 2022 and 2024, we identify three key themes: (1) the absence of formal CRT education in teacher preparation programs, resulting in fragmented and uneven understandings of CRT; (2) the ways teachers’ positionalities shape their pedagogical approaches and perceived responsibilities to address race and racism; and (3) the impact of “divisive concepts” legislation on teachers’ sense of safety, surveillance, and resistance. Despite these systemic pressures, many educators employed creative strategies to navigate policy constraints while sustaining critical classroom discussions. Taken together, the findings illustrate how the current backlash against CRT operates as a moral panic with significant implications for educational equity, academic freedom, and teacher agency in U.S. elementary and secondary schools.