UPDATE: On February 28, 2022, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights closed this complaint as moot. The district said it removed the flyer, took references to “students of color” out of school announcements, and confirmed that “all students are eligible to participate.” See the letter here.
On December 17, 2021, Parents Defending Education filed a complaint against Downers Grove South High School in Downers Grove, Illinois, part of Community High School District 99, with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. The complaint claimed the school was breaking Title VI, a law that bans race discrimination in programs that receive federal funds. It also claimed the school was 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.
A flyer displayed at the school advertised a “Students of Color Field Trip Opportunity” for January 2022. It did not say the trip was open to students of other races. DE argues that this constitutes discrimination on the basis of race.
Read the full complaint below:
