Johnston County Public Schools (JCPS) Board of Education passed policy code 5100 in response to demands from the Johnston County Commissioners for an anti-Critical Race Theory (CRT) policy. Initially, the JCPS Board of Education had initiated equity-focused initiatives; however, the convergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and racial justice protests across America created a policy window that catalyzed the push for anti-CRT measures at the local school board level. This study utilizes Oakes et al.'s (2005) Zone of Mediation framework to analyze how external pressures influenced the district's policy response, alongside Cuban's (1992) orders of change to assess JCPS's commitment to equity. The analysis reveals that the JCPS Board of Education faced pressure from various parents, social movement groups, and the Johnston County Commissioners. The Johnston County Commissioners pushed an inducement tied to school funding, ultimately leading to adopting policy code 5100. Through a qualitative approach using critical policy analysis and analyzing public documents, the research explores the dynamics between local school board governance, educational policymaking, and educational equity. The findings provide an understanding of the complex challenges between external demands and policy decision-making by local school board members. Additionally, the findings highlight the challenges in balancing equity initiatives with political and financial pressures from the national, state, and local levels. This study contributes to the broader discourse on educational policymaking, critical race theory, equity, and the impacts of political influence on local school board governance. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]