Yesterday, Mountain States Legal Foundation filed a comprehensive complaint against Denver Public Schools (DPS), drawing from alarming reports by multiple whistleblowers, including a member of DPS’s Central Administration. This complaint aims to spark a thorough investigation by the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights into DPS’s racially charged programs and activities.
The allegations are serious: DPS has been segregating employees by race for training sessions, instructing Caucasian employees not to disagree with African-American colleagues, treating students differently based on their race, and allocating resources like reading programs and mentoring based on students’ race. These actions are clear violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits racial discrimination in schools.
This is not the first time that DPS has come under scrutiny. This marks Mountain States’ sixth complaint against the school district, adding to three ongoing investigations and two pending ones. DPS cannot evade federal civil rights laws and the constitutional principle of equality.
MSLF’s General Counsel and former Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, William Trachman, expressed deep concern: “Students and parents deserve to know that when they send their kids to schools in DPS, their skin color won’t matter. But that just isn’t true. As a parent in DPS, I am shocked by what whistleblowers from within the district have reported, and by the extensive way that DPS uses race in employment and educational decisions. Compliance with federal civil rights laws isn’t optional. But if DPS won’t recognize that, then the US Department of Education is going to have to fix that.”
