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Ted Cruz’s daughters attend ‘anti-racist’ private school

Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas helped lead the Republican charge against anti-racism efforts at a private school in Washington during the Supreme Court confirmation hearing this week for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. But leaders at the private school in Houston where the senator sends his two daughters have articulated a similar commitment.

St. John’s School, where Cruz’s daughters are students, is also an elite institution, with annual tuition topping $32,000, according to its website. And leaders there have advocated a similar anti-racist stance.

In June 2020, shortly after George Floyd, a Black man, was killed by a white police officer who pinned Floyd’s neck under his knee, setting off protests across the country, school leaders wrote to the community about their approach.

“St. John’s, as an institution, must be antiracist and eliminate racism of any type — including institutional racism — within our school community and beyond,”wrote Mark Desjardins, then the school’s headmaster, and John Moody, chair of the board of trustees.

A statement on community and inclusion, approved by the board in 2018, says the school ensures “cultural intelligence and proficiency” for all community members. It also incorporates “cultural proficiency, diversity, global awareness and inclusivity into all facets” of the curriculum.

The New Republic and The Washington Post reported earlier on St. John’s. A spokesperson for Cruz did not immediately provide answers to questions late Thursday.