On January 13, 2025, Parents Defending Education filed a complaint against Community Unit School District 308 in Oswego, Illinois, with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. The complaint claims the district is breaking Title VI, a law that bans race discrimination in programs that receive federal funds. It also claims the district is violating the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause, which bars government bodies, including public schools, from treating people differently because of their race except in rare cases.
Grande Park Elementary started a club called “Black Student Alliance Buddies” for 4th and 5th graders. According to its flyer, the club is for students “who identify as Black, Biracial, or African American.” It meets every other Wednesday during lunch and recess, and it is run by staff from the district’s Equity and Engagement department. Students of other races are left out of a school-day activity because of their race.
Defending Education urges the Department to investigate every claim in its complaint, fix the district’s illegal policies and practices, and order the right remedies.
See the complaint and its evidence below:
