Overview
- The advocacy group submitted its complaint to the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights last week, targeting Minneapolis Public Schools.
- The complaint alleges several high schools barred white and Asian students from enrolling in Black-culture courses that count toward the district’s electives requirement.
- Defending Education says the restrictions narrow non-Black students’ elective options needed for graduation by excluding them from certain credit-bearing classes.
- The filing cites two gendered courses titled “BLACK Culture – Building Lives Acquiring Cultural Knowledge,” one for Black male students and another for Black female students, with curricula obtained via a public records request.
- The group argues the practice violates Title VI and the Equal Protection Clause and requests an OCR investigation; the district and federal officials have not publicly responded.