Parents Defending Education Requests Investigation into La Honda-Pescadero Unified School District’s Equity Policy

Parents Defending Education (PDE) has sent a letter to the Director and Regional Attorney of the San Jose Local Office of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission requesting an investigation into La Honda-Pescadero Unified School District in Pescadero, California for employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in violation of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. §2000e et seq.

PDE makes this investigation request as an interested third-party organization with members who are parents of school children throughout the country. PDE and its members oppose racial discrimination and political indoctrination in America’s schools. La Honda-Pescadero Unified School District has updated its equity policy to implement quotas for hiring diverse educators and staff. This equity policy promotes race-based hiring and educator retention in the district.

Attached to this complaint is supporting evidence in the form of the District’s updated equity policy (Exhibit A), a presentation titled, “Hiring and Retaining a Diverse Staff 2024-2025” (Exhibit B), a contract proposal titled, “La Honda Pescadero-Equity Audit” (Exhibit C), and a document titled, “Las Honda-Pescadero Equity Audit” (Exhibit D).

Exhibit A reveals that a primary strategic objective in the District is implementing a race-based recruitment and retention process by June 2024. The updated equity policy stresses the “District and site staff shall fully implement the LHPUSD hiring policy and achieve an increase in the diversity of the workforce in at least 75% of new hires” (Ex. A at 1).

In an effort to “encourage diverse candidates,” the District compiled a list of strategies to achieve those goals. In addition to “[c]apitaliz[ing] racial/ethnic categories in a consistent manner,” the presentation on “Hiring and Retaining a Diverse Staff 2024-2025” also includes “prioritiz[ing] messaging that centers diversity/POC” and encourages hiring managers to “[b]e purposeful about saying experience in lieu of degree” (Ex. B at 7).

La Honda-Prescadero cannot discriminate based on their race when hiring or making other employment decisions. We ask that your office promptly investigate the allegations in this complaint, act swiftly to remedy unlawful policies and practices, and order appropriate relief.