RINO Keven Ellis Joins Democrats To Approve Curriculum Calling George Washington A Terrorist

Keven Ellis, a Republican of the Texas State Board of Education and a Republican reappointed by Gov. Greg Abbott, is under fire for what critics call a full-blown betrayal of conservative values — voting with Democrats to push DEI-style curriculum into Texas classrooms.

Ellis has repeatedly voted to approve radical leftist curriculum — including DEI-linked ethnic studies courses — and signaled openness to leftist pushes for sexualized instruction and identity politics in public schools. Critics now label Ellis a RINO who has aligned more with progressive lobbyists and taxpayer-funded education bureaucrats than with Republican voters or Texas families.

Ellis, re-appointed by Gov. Abbott, voted in favor of creating or reauthorizing ethnic studies courses — including the controversial American Indian/Native Studies elective — which critics say reflect Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) ideology. The final vote passed 9-5 in June, despite warnings that the curriculum pushes DEI talking points and reframes American history through a leftist lens.

Opponents say the Native Studies class is overtly political, misrepresents American history, and portrays the Founding Fathers as villains. Board Member Julie Pickren, a Republican from Pearland, blasted the class as “junk” and said she was “absolutely appalled that one Texas tax dollar has paid for this,” per the Texas Tribune. Her criticism focused on a reference to George Washington’s military orders against Native tribes, describing the Founding Father’s actions as “terroristic.”

Ellis joined every Democrat on the board — and three Republicans — to approve the course over conservative objections.

Board member Tom Maynard of District 10, also a Republican, voted against the measure, joining Brandon Hall (11), Julie Pickren (7), Audrey Young (8), and LJ Francis (2). Voting in favor were Democrats Gustavo Reveles (1), Marisa Perez-Diaz (3), Staci Childs (4), Rebecca Bell-Metereau (5), and Tiffany Clark (13), joined by Republicans Will Hickman (6), Pam Little (12), Evelyn Brooks (14), and Ellis (9). Chair Aaron Kinsey (15) did not vote.

The full tally is as follows:

Ellis has also been criticized for undercutting the Republican platform on school choice.

In early 2023, the State Board of Education dropped its long-held opposition to redirecting public education funds to private institutions, including through vouchers.

While Ellis claimed the vote wasn’t an endorsement, critics say it cleared the way for left-leaning school districts to resist Republican-led voucher reforms.

“There’s going to be a very rich and robust debate over this in the Legislature,” Ellis at the time, calling it “appropriate to reconsider this item,” per KUT.

Beyond curriculum content and funding shifts, Ellis has signaled openness to leftwing policy demands related to sex education and gender politics. In a 2020 email to the Texas Tribune, Ellis said he supported teaching about “different types of bullying, including bullying for sexual reasons,” per the Tribune. Conservative groups say such language introduces gender ideology under the guise of anti-bullying lessons. At the time, the board was debating revisions to the state’s sex education standards, with activists and some board members pushing for curriculum that would include explicit references to sexual orientation and gender identity.

This argument drew pushback from parents’ groups who argue that such topics introduce ideology into classrooms.

Ellis has also maintained relationships with former board members and lobbyists who have drawn their own controversies. Thomas Ratliff, a former SBOE member and lobbyist, has been linked to the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), a group that has been a frequent target of criticism from parental rights advocates. Ratliff’s son, who apparently performs under the drag persona Plasma, told interviewers that his father “was lobbying against the Senate bill to outlaw drag in the state of Texas” and that “he was coaching drag queens on their testimonies to be presented on the Texas Senate floor.”

Ratliff was allegedly spotted at an SBOE meeting with Ellis, raising concerns about taxpayer-funded lobbyists influencing board policy through unofficial channels. TASB has previously opposed efforts to rein in taxpayer-funded lobbying, including legislation authored by Rep. Hillary Hickland. “This is a real example of why taxpayer funded lobbying is bad for Texans,” Hickland wrote on Facebook in July. “During the regular session, I filed HB1313, which would prevent any school funding from being used on lobbyists… I will be filing that bill again.”

Critics now openly call Ellis a RINO, pointing to a record they say favors the left while keeping up a Republican façade.

“Ellis is a member of the board’s Committee on School Finance/Permanent School Fund, which oversees agenda items on topics such as Permanent School Fund management oversight… [and he] served as vice chair of the Texas Commission on Public School Finance, which laid the ground work for a sweeping new school finance law,” his official bio states.