UPDATE: On February 13, 2023, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights referred this complaint to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which handles discrimination in hiring and employment. See the letter here.
On January 3, 2023, Parents Defending Education filed a complaint against Portland Public Schools in Portland, Maine, 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 Human Resources page promotes a “BIPOC Community Circle” that “welcomes all Black, Indigenous, Asian, Middle-Eastern, Latinx, and mixed race staff members.” Members get social gatherings, “career pathways support,” and “emotional support and advocacy.” The page even links to an article titled “Why People of Color Need Spaces without White People.” White staff members are left out of this support because of their race.
Defending Education urges the government 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:
