Parents Defending Education Requests Investigation into Boston Public School’s Plan to Provide Race-Based Programming for Staff

Parents Defending Education (PDE) has sent a letter to the Director and Regional Attorney of the Boston Area Office of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission requesting an investigation into Boston Public Schools (BPS) in Boston, Massachusetts 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. BPS appears to have affinity
groups that separate individuals into categories based on race and provides training for these
groups. Attached to this complaint is supporting evidence in the form of a guide, titled, “White
School Leaders Affinity Group: Committed to Antiracism” (Exhibit A), which is a step-by-step
guide to a lesson plan for white teachers and parents; pilot curriculum, titled, “Mendell Affinity
Group for White People Challenging Racism” (Exhibit B), which is a series of lesson plans
geared toward white affinity group members, and a training slide show for teachers; a training
manual, titled, “BPS Staff Affinity Groups: Guidelines and Best Practices” (Exhibit C), which
promotes BPS’s effort to create affinity groups based on self-identification.

BPS likewise cannot exclude employees based on their race. We ask that your office promptly
investigate the allegations in this complaint, act swiftly to remedy unlawful policies and
practices, and order appropriate relief.