OCR COMPLAINT: Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

On February 7, 2024, Parents Defending Education (PDE) filed a federal civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education against Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora, Illinois for discrimination on the basis of race in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance in violation of both Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), 42 U.S.C. § 2000d et seq., and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

PDE makes this complaint as an interested third-party organization with members who are parents of school children throughout the country. PDE and its members oppose discrimination on the basis of race and political indoctrination in America’s schools. Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy is offering affinity group programming to some that is not offered to all. Admittance into the Brotherhood Sister Circle affinity group is solely based on individual’s race and sex. Specifically, the group is open only to “Black” and “Latinx” individuals and certain events are further divided based on the individual’s sex.

Attached to this complaint is supporting evidence in the form of a webpage for the Brotherhood Sister Circle affinity group (Exhibit A), email conversations about an upcoming BHSC retreat, wherein only certain races were invited to participate (Exhibit B), flyers for the BHSC retreat (Exhibit C), and the agenda for the BHSC retreat (Exhibit D).

Emails obtained by an open records request indicate only “emails for the Black and Latinx students” receive invitations to attend the BHSC retreat. Therefore, only certain students were invited to attend, and this was solely based on the individual’s race.

Accordingly, we ask that the Department promptly investigate the allegations in this complaint, act swiftly to remedy unlawful policies and practices, and order appropriate relief.