The public school system serving the nation’s capital was hit with a federal civil rights complaint Thursday over a “student affinity group.”
Parents Defending Education (PDE), a parents’ rights group, filed the complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR). The complaint asks the civil rights office to open an investigation into an “Empowerment Club” in District of Columbia Public Schools.
The club is a “student affinity group” designed for Black female students, according to PDE. A flyer included in the complaint advertises the club for girls in first through fifth grade who identify as “Black, African, African-American, biracial, or part of the African diaspora and nonbinary students.”
The included flyer also notes the “Empowerment Club” meets after school and focuses on “empowerment,” “creativity” and “community.”
Also included in the complaint is what PDE describes as a “permission slip” for the “Empowerment Club.” The document asks parents to share whether they give their children permission to join the club, with the approval option noting the parent understands “the club will meet regularly and that my child will be involved in various activities aimed at building community, friendship, leadership and self-confidence.”
The parents’ group asks OCR in its complaint to determine whether the “Empowerment Club” violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race in programs receiving federal funding. The group also alleges the club might be in violation of the 14th Amendment, pointing to the portion of the amendment prohibiting the denial of “equal protection of the laws” to any person.
Caroline Moore, PDE vice president , said in a statement the school system, through the club, has “created an academic community in which students are purposely separated because of their race at a very young age.”
“It is unconscionable that this is happening in public schools, let alone in a metropolitan area, at such impressionable ages,” Moore said. “Public schools should foster all students based on their needs and encourage them to befriend all of their classmates, not just the ones who look like them.”
The DC schools did not provide comment. It is not immediately clear whether an investigation will be opened regarding the “Empowerment Club.”
Research shared by Harvard University’s Institutional Antiracism and Accountability Project (IARA) says “affinity groups” have helped improve morale and engagement in some communities. The groups have the ability to “create a culture of inclusion and belonging” and strengthen individuals’ self-esteem, according to IARA.
PDE has urged the opening of federal investigations into school districts nationwide over “affinity groups.” The group in December filed a separate complaint against Rochester Public Schools in Minnesota, alleging an “Employees of Color Resource Group” was in violation of federal law.
In November, PDE also asked the Boston Area Office of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to investigate “affinity groups” in Boston Public Schools, as well as alleged “trainings” excluding district staff “based on race.”
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