According to the allegations, district officials knew Hispanics were the farthest in reading, but limited their relief learning program to Black students.
Affinity groups for black students at Chicago Public Schools violate civil rights laws and the district could cost federal funding if the program continues, the Department of Education announced this week.
The district’s “Black Student Success Plan” allegedly violated Title VI of the 1964 federal law because it addresses one-race salvation education method for students.
“The Trump Mcmahon Department of Education does not allow federal funds provided for the benefit of all students to be used in this harmful and illegal manner.”
Chicago Public Schools spokesman Evan Moore said in an email response to the Epoch Times that his district could not comment on the pending investigation.
The Black Student Success Plan focuses on closing the gap in the outcomes of Black Students in the district.
According to a department news release, between December 2023 and April 2024, a working group of senior leaders in the district worked on the initiative at a community roundtable between December 2023 and April 2024.
The slideshow presentation at the kickoff meeting showed that the program’s mission focused solely on black students. The presentation also acknowledged that students of all races struggle academically.
A department’s news release states that Hispanic students had the worst reading compared to all other races.
Advocacy Education founder and President Nicole Nailey said Chicago Public Schools, who struggle both financially and student achievement, are wrong to assign finite resources to students of a particular race.
“The evidence clearly shows that CPS is failing in the basic task of educating all students. But rather than addressing this issue, district leaders chose to create a racial booty system,” she said in an email to the Epoch Times.