A mandatory ninth-grade ethnic studies curriculum at a school district in California’s Monterey County pushes dark and controversial political themes and imagery, says a critic of the program. Kelly Schenkoske, a parent of homeschooled children and an opponent of ethnic studies and critical race theory (CRT), told The Epoch Times the ethnic studies curriculum being taught at schools in Salinas Union High School District (SUHSD) promotes anti-American, anti-Christian, and Marxist ideas. Schenkoske obtained a copy of the curriculum, which was verified as legitimate by Kali Fontanilla, a former SUHSD teacher. Schenkoske claims the teaching materials contain anti-Christianity ideology while promoting other spiritual traditions. The curriculum also focuses on “counter-hegemony,” she said, a concept developed by Marxist philosophers to fight against “hegemonic” or dominant social structures, such as a country’s economic system. CRT concepts are also clearly included on page 92 through 96 of the curriculum in excerpts from the article …