On January 31, 2023, Parents Defending Education filed a complaint against Lower Merion School District in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, 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.
The district’s “Equity Efforts” page says that “[s]tudents of color are invited to join” the Becton Scholars at Lower Merion High School and the POWER Scholars at Harriton High School. These groups help “cultivate academic excellence and leadership.” At the middle schools, students of color are invited to join REACH and EmPOWER, groups for conversations about “race, empowerment, culture and excellence.” Students of other races are not invited to these groups.
The complaint also points to a “Cultural Proficiency for Kids” course for young students, revised to “include equity, justice, and antiracism.”
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.
Read the full complaint and see its evidence below:
