Gettin' Down with School's Out-of-the-Box Choices: St. Isidore Catholic School Challenges OK's Charter School System
Trump administration probes school district near Chicago over allegations of 'racial bias education'
School choice proponents are raging against what they see as a breach of the First Amendment's Free Exercise clause, as St. Isidore Catholic School gets left out of Oklahoma's charter school program. They claim this exclusion prejudices students with unique needs that public schools fail to cater to.
The U.S. Department of Education's Civil Rights Office has taken up arms over an Illinois school district, following accusations of racist practices by a teacher, reportedly split-second after a press release drop.
Dr. Stacy Deemar, the complainant, alleges that Evanston-Skokie School District 65 has been breaking Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by employing "privilege walks" and other racial practices within the educational system.
"The district's policies and practices make for a host of eyebrow-raising moments. Faced with a woeful academic performance record, it seems the district prefers to segregate students by race, conduct segregated affinity groups, and portray 'Whiteness' as the harbinger of doom. Such practices? Completely un-Yankee Doodle Dandy!"Acting Assistant Secretary, Craig Trainor, declared in a May press release from the Trump Education Department.
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The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights has set its sites on Evanston-Skokie school district for its supposed racist practices, as reported by a teacher's complaint, confirmed by a press release. (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)
Earlier under the first Trump administration, the Department of Education pursued the school district for Title VI violations, only for the findings to be shelved by the Biden administration. Deemar's complaints include accusations of "antiracist training" and "race-based programming."
"With citizens returning President Trump to power in the hopes of halting this craziness and enforcing Title VI, the Department of Education will no longer stand idly by as districts that receive federal dollars transform into fortresses for racial discrimination or any other unlawful practices," Trainor added.
"The Southeastern Legal Foundation expresses gratitude to the Trump Administration for acknowledging the urgent need to put a stop to reprehensible racial discrimination in District 65 - Evanston, IL," the Foundation's Executive Director, Kimberly Hermann, stated firmly.
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Joe Biden and his Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on Aug 24, 2022 (OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images)
Despite the Biden administration's withdrawal of the initial litigation, Hermann addressed the situation pitch-perfect: "Since the wrongful withdrawal four years ago of the Department of Education's finding that District 65's racial segregation, equity training, discipline policy, and other discriminatory practices conflict with American civil rights laws, Dr. Deemar has patiently waited for the rituals of justice to rectify the harm inflicted by the Biden Administration."
"For the sake of the children and the nation, it's high time we restored equality and reclaimed civil liberties," Hermann concluded.
Evanston-Skokie School District 65 withheld comment in response to our website, Digital's request for input. A district spokesperson, however, extended a statement to ABC7 Chicago: "We stand as a diverse school district, committed to unity and to ensuring that each child receives the nourishment and growth they deserve to attain their potential."
"Maintaining every child at heart and ensuring their continued progress remains our responsibility," read the statement. "The district will continue to fulfill the promise of equal protection and nondiscrimination embodied in the Constitution and civil rights laws."
However, the district refuted the allegations, stating, "Our District's legal and important professional learning initiatives are designed with the aim of ensuring that all students have access to high-quality education. The complaint unfairly represents our District's initiatives."
The district remains open to OCR's investigation, aiming for a fair and expedient resolution.
Digital's Jeffrey Clark, associate editor, has penned this article. Clark, a former speechwriter, Fulbright scholar, and University of Iowa English and History graduate, has also taught in South Korea. He welcomes story tips at [email protected].
- Politics surrounding school choice in Oklahoma continue to heat up, with St. Isidore Catholic School contesting its exclusion from the charter school program, arguing it disadvantages students with unique needs.
- Concurrently, the Evanston-Skokie School District 65 is embroiled in a controversial proxy politics debate, with the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights investigating claims of discriminatory practices, including racial segregation and antiracist training.
- In a general-news development, the Southeastern Legal Foundation expressed appreciation for the Trump Administration's efforts to address these allegations, suggesting a need to halt racial discrimination and restore equality in the district.
- Meanwhile, the Biden Administration, as seen in the case of Chicago's efforts to expand equality of income, grapples with balancing civil rights laws and ensuring each child's potential is met, regardless of race or ethnicity.
