Colorado school district requires 'Black Excellence' pledge for staff, parent group says

DENVER (CITC) — The largest school district in Colorado is facing a federal civil rights complaint for allegedly requiring staff to participate in a "Black Excellence" pledge.

The complaint against Denver Public Schools (DPS) was filed Tuesday by advocacy group Parents Defending Education (PDE). In the complaint, PDE points to an internal memo referencing the pledge, allegedly championed by the district's superintendent, school board and senior leadership team.

The pledge states that "all educators need to understand the prevalence and deep harm whiteness brings to students," according to the complaint. It also allegedly promises "conversations about racism and white supremacy culture" and directs teachers to "dismantle the system that allows certain students to excel and others to perish."

All DPS employees must be actively engaged and learn to confront racism and understand how we all contribute to and can break down the barriers of institutionalized racism," the memo allegedly read.

PDE is asking the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights to investigate whether the pledge violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race. The group claims the "district-imposed discrimination" will have an "overwhelmingly negative" impact on DPS students.

“Prioritizing equity over merit puts students on the backburner in Denver Public Schools," Caroline Moore, the vice president of PDE, told Crisis in the Classroom (CITC) in a statement. "No student, even those who are white, should go to school and feel ashamed for what they look like."

READ MORE | Oregon school district under fire for making race 'main criteria' in discipline policy

The complaint was filed on the heels of the Supreme Court deciding it will not hear a case against a prestigious Virginia high school's admissions policy. The Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology was sued by a group of parents in 2021 for allegedly prioritizing race over merit when admitting students.

Thomas Jefferson's policy, introduced in 2020, gives weight in favor of applicants who are economically disadvantaged or still learning English. The first freshman class after its introduction saw the school's number of Black students jump from 1% to 7% and Hispanic students increase from 3% to 11%.

The Supreme Court's decision followed a May ruling by a federal appeals court to uphold the policy. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented from Tuesday's decision, with Alito writing the appeals court essentially ruled that “intentional racial discrimination is constitutional so long as it is not too severe."

CITC reached out to DPS for comment, but did not immediately receive a response. This story will be updated if a response is received.

Have something for the Crisis in the Classroom team to investigate? Call or text the national tip line at 202-417-7273.