Education Dept. investigates Chicago Public Schools for alleged racial discrimination

CHICAGO - The U.S. Department of Education announced on Tuesday that it's investigating Chicago Public Schools over allegations that a program aimed at helping Black students is racially discriminatory.

What we know:

The federal agency alleged that CPS violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, and national origin in programs that receive federal funding.

The probe centers around CPS’ "Black Student Success Plan," a program that the district claims is a long-term plan to improve outcomes for Black students, but which a nonprofit argued discriminates against students of other racial groups.

In its announcement, the Education Department pointed to data from CPS that showed "students of all races struggle academically." In one example, a district presentation showed that CPS' Hispanic students faced similar reading deficiencies compared to its Black students.

In news release announcing its initial complaint, Defending Education criticized CPS "failing students of all races and ethnicities."

State data show overall, 84.3% of CPS ninth graders last year were "on track," a key indicator of their likeliness to graduate from high school. That's below the state average of 88.2% for students of all racial demographic groups.

CPS has previously said its Black Student Success program was codified and mandates by state law "to ensure that every student has a rigorous, joyful and equitable learning experience."

By the numbers:

Black CPS ninth graders in 2024 were slightly better than Black students overall in Illinois for being "on track," (81% vs. 79.7%), while Latino ninth graders in CPS performed slightly below Latino students statewide (83.2% vs. 84.1%).

As of the 2023-2024 school year, about 35% of CPS students are Black, 47% are Latino, 11% white, 5% Asian and 2% are multiracial, according to district documents.

What they're saying:

In a statement, Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor criticized CPS for leaving its students struggling academically.

"Chicago Public Schools have a record of academic failure, leaving students from all backgrounds and races struggling and ill-prepared to meet the challenges and enjoy the rewards of contemporary American life. Rather than address its record honestly, CPS seeks to allocate additional resources to favored students on the basis of race. The Trump-McMahon Department of Education will not allow federal funds, provided for the benefit of all students, to be used in this pernicious and unlawful manner. To CPS, I say this: Every American student deserves access to a quality education, and the Trump Administration will fight tirelessly to uphold that ideal and ensure all students are treated equally under law."

A CPS spokesperson declined to comment on the investigation.