Elizabeth School District is the proud up-and-coming conservative venue in Colorado’s public education scene, rising to the far-right agenda with their recent book banning. 19 books, all of which contain content about racism, homophobia, mental health, or social injustice against minorities, were banned by the district’s curriculum committee.
The ban was spearheaded by Superintendent Dan Snowberger, an enthusiastically conservative administrator hired by the board after two far-right Republicans won seats in the Nov. 2021 election. Their subsequent politicization of the ostensibly non-partisan board over their first year in power resulted in the resignation of the three other board members, who were soon replaced with like-minded religious right appointees.
The ACLU of Colorado was quick to challenge the book bans, with Legal Director Tim Macdonald stating that “such book bans violate the Constitution—period.”
On March 20, U.S. District Court judge Charlotte Sweeney issued a preliminary injunction, requiring the District to return the banned books to their libraries by March 25, 2025 and prohibiting them from removing additional books just because the board disagrees with their content or viewpoint. Sweeney subsequently postponed her ruling pending the district’s motion for a stay on appeal.
“This is a major victory for the students of Elizabeth and all Coloradans,” says Macdonald. “Having access to a diversity of viewpoints is integral to the well-being and education of all students, and this injunction gives them that opportunity.”
While the ACLU won this battle, many more challenges lie ahead in confronting the far-right ideology being pushed in the district. Conservative attorney Brad Miller from Miller Farmer Law represents Elizabeth School District and has proven to be a controversial combination when working in conjunction with Snowberger.
In March 2024, Miller and Snowberger teamed together on a request to hire unlicensed substitutes through an app service called Tagg Education, which was developed by Miller’s son, Trevor, and would benefit financially if used more often by districts such as Elizabeth. The State Board of Education rejected their request.
Also in line with the duo’s conservative agendas, Elizabeth School District passed a resolution in September 2023 that prohibits the enforcement of masks or vaccines in regards to the COVID pandemic. The Board adopted language from Moms for Liberty, a far-right group aimed at protecting public school children from the “woke agenda.”
Elizabeth isn’t the only public school district in Colorado which has been promoting far-right ideologies under the guidance of Brad Miller. The most prominent example lies in Woodland Park, outside of Colorado Springs. Woodland Park has become one of the most conservative school districts in the state, introducing measures like the American Birthright social studies standards – a set of curriculum aimed at promoting traditionally conservative social and political values – and canceling teachers’ union contracts.
The warning signs from Woodland Park are just as evident in Elizabeth, and not just in the school district.
“School Districts that ban books because the officials disagree with the content or viewpoints expressed in those books do a disservice to students, authors, and the community,” warns Macdonald about the widespread dangers of far-right ideologies turned oppressive. But just as Macdonald warns, he also promises an ongoing fight, ensuring that things like book bans will not come to districts like Elizabeth as easily as some might want.
“We’ll keep fighting to ensure a permanent end to this practice,” Macdonald says.
