UPDATE: On July 24, 2024, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights dismissed this complaint. See the letter here.
On April 26, 2024, Parents Defending Education filed a complaint against Greeley-Evans District 6 in Greeley, Colorado, with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. The complaint claimed the district was breaking Title VI, a law that bans race discrimination in programs that receive federal funds. It also claimed the district 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.
The district sent out an email inviting families to a “Black Family Affinity Group,” calling it “a wonderful opportunity for our Black families to connect with one another.” The group was meant to give the district feedback and help families “engage with District initiatives.” Colorado already requires every public school to have parent advisory committees open to all. DE argues that in creating a separate group just for Black families with benefits like meals, meetings, and access to district leaders, the district discriminated against non-black families on the basis of race.
Read the complaint and see its evidence below:
