A conservative advocacy group has filed a federal lawsuit challenging a long-standing Los Angeles school district policy designed to address the effects of segregation, arguing that the approach now discriminates against white students, according to the Associated Press.The lawsuit, filed Tuesday by the 1776 Project Foundation, targets a Los Angeles Unified School District policy that provides smaller class sizes and other benefits to schools with predominantly Hispanic, Black, Asian or other non-white student populations. The policy stems from court orders issued in 1970 and 1976 that required the district to desegregate its schools.
Claims under federal civil rights law
The group argues that the policy violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. It is seeking a permanent injunction to prevent the district from using race-based criteria in operating, funding, advertising or admitting students into school programs, the lawsuit says.
The district’s response
A spokesperson for LAUSD said the district could not comment on the specifics of pending litigation. In a statement, the district said it “remains firmly committed to ensuring all students have meaningful access to services and enriching educational opportunities,” AP reports.
How the policy operates in practice
According to the lawsuit, more than 600 schools in the district are classified as predominantly Hispanic, Black, Asian or other non-white, while fewer than 100 schools are not. Students attending schools under this designation receive additional points when applying to magnet programs, the lawsuit says. These schools are also required to maintain student-teacher ratios of 25 to 1 or less, compared with ratios of up to 34 to 1 permitted at other schools.The district’s Student Integration Services website states that schools covered by the policy must also hold at least two parent-teacher conferences each year. The lawsuit argues that students at schools outside the designation are denied access to these benefits.
The group behind the lawsuit
The 1776 Project Foundation says its mission is to promote academic achievement and reshape education policy nationwide. According to its website, the group supports local school board candidates and opposes diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The lawsuit includes a parent whose children attend a Los Angeles school that does not qualify for the additional benefits. The group says those children were denied admission to a magnet program as a result of the policy.
A broader push to unwind desegregation orders
The filing comes as officials aligned with President Donald Trump have argued that court-ordered school desegregation mandates from the civil rights era are outdated and should be lifted, AP reports.Civil rights groups counter that the orders remain necessary to address ongoing disparities in discipline, academic offerings and teacher hiring, as well as patterns of segregation that persist in many school systems.
