Our article looks at the main themes of critical race theory (CRT) in education as outlined in the landmark 1995 article published in Teachers College Record by Gloria Ladson-Billings and William Tate. We then apply the key ideas they articulated to the social context of school leadership in the Mormon culture region of the western United States, and through interview data and reliance on secondary data reports, illustrate the resistance to social justice leadership and CRT action that school leaders face. We also explore how they engage with this conservative backlash to apply CRT leadership in practice.