Overview

• The DOJ filed the case Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island, alleging Providence’s “Educators of Color Loan Forgiveness Program” violates Title VII.
• Created in 2021 with about $3.1 million from the Rhode Island Foundation, the initiative offers up to $25,000 to newly hired teachers who identify as Black, Hispanic, Asian, American Indian or multiracial while excluding white teachers, with a goal of recruiting up to 127 educators.
• Prosecutors seek a court declaration that the program is discriminatory, a permanent injunction blocking any similar race-based benefit, and equitable relief for teachers deemed ineligible because of race.
• The lawsuit stems from a Civil Rights Division employment investigation; it is unclear whether awards are still being disbursed, and the program’s webpage has been removed.
• RIDE and Providence schools said they had negotiated with federal officials, had not been served when the filing became public, and would not comment further; no hearing date has been announced.