Overview

• The Office for Civil Rights said Chicago Public Schools violated federal anti-discrimination laws and stated it would not certify the district’s Magnet Schools Assistance Program grant.
• Federal officials gave CPS three days to abolish its Black Student Success Plan and to require sports and facility access based on sex at birth, threatening a five-year, $15 million grant.
• CPS told the department it will not change its policies while probes are ongoing, calling the demands unreasonable and asking for 30 days to respond.
• District counsel argued the policies comply with Illinois requirements, including state guidance on transgender students and a 2024 law mandating a Black Student Achievement Committee, which the board plans to announce next week.
• Education Secretary Linda McMahon highlighted similar action involving New York City and Fairfax, and local reporting noted the relatively small grant could foreshadow wider federal funding risks for CPS.