UPDATE: On November 6, 2024, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights dismissed this complaint. See the letter here.
On February 15, 2024, Parents Defending Education filed a complaint against Portland Public Schools (PPS) in Oregon with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. The complaint claimed PPS was breaking Title VI, a law that bans race discrimination in programs that receive federal funds, and Title IX, a law that bans sex discrimination in schools that receive federal funds. It also claimed PPS violated the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause, which bars government bodies, including public schools, from treating people differently because of their race or sex except in rare cases.
After a teachers’ strike, PPS signed a new agreement with the Portland Association of Teachers. Under it, the district may consider a student’s race, gender identity, and sexual orientation when deciding on discipline. The agreement also lets the district consider teachers’ race and gender identity when making transfer decisions. DE argued that this means students and teachers can be treated differently based on traits outside their control.
Read the full complaint and see its evidence below:
