This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Copies of the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence used by students in the Anchorage, Alaska, school district have been slapped with a surprising disclaimer.
Now school officials are explaining it all was a "mistake."
According to a report from the Anchorage Daily News, images were posted online of a Hillsdale College handout of the Declaration and the Constitution, with the label attached that read, "The Anchorage School District does not endorse these materials or the viewpoint expressed in them."
A district official has a reason.
MJ Thim, a district official, explained in an email the stickers are meant to clarify the difference between "official district information" and materials from outside sources.
"This was our mistake. The request that came in wasn't for a flyer or poster and shouldn't have been processed through that system. We will be following up directly with the requestor to make things right," Thim said, according to ADN.
"The U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence are an important part of what students learn social studies," Thim wrote. "These founding documents are taught in every school and reflect the values we want every student to understand."
Hillsdale is a private liberal arts school in Michigan, and donates the booklets.
"Alaska's Attorney General appointee Stephen Cox is the treasurer on the board of directors for Thomas More Classical School, a Hillsdale-affiliated K-6 private school set to open in Anchorage next fall. Cox is also listed as a co-founder and past board president of the school," the report said.
Cox said on social media, said, "something has gone terribly wrong."
"A disclaimer saying the school district doesn't endorse these documents can only confuse students, by implying their own school won't stand for the first principles of our Republic. It raises important questions, and we'll get the answers," Cox said.
The College Fix said a student noticed the disclaimer, and showed it to her mom, who wrote on social media, "I was honestly stunned. These aren't controversial documents, they are the foundation of our country and what our students are supposed to be learning about. Why would a school need to distance itself from the very principles we are built on?
"I fully support transparency in education and just want to understand this policy better. Parents deserve clarity. If outside materials are being sent home, especially involving American founding documents, the messaging should be thoughtful and not confusing to families."
