Overview

• Acting civil-rights chief Craig Trainor denied extension requests and said the districts missed a Sept. 23 deadline, so the agency will not certify their Magnet Schools Assistance Program grants for the new fiscal year.
• Roughly $15 million is being withheld from New York City, $5.8 million from Chicago and $3.4 million from Fairfax County, according to the department.
• The department targets trans-inclusive bathroom and athletics policies in New York City and Fairfax, and also alleges Chicago’s Black Student Success Plan violates Title VI, calling it “textbook racial discrimination.”
• Districts reject the findings, citing state human-rights protections and due-process concerns; New York City officials warn cuts will harm about 8,500 students and the mayor’s office says it is weighing litigation.
• Magnet funds pay for specialized curricula, afterschool and summer learning and teacher training; Chicago officials say the loss creates roughly an $8 million hole and they are reviewing planned magnet initiatives.