The is investigating for what it calls “a wide range of racially discriminatory programming,” marking the third federal civil-rights probe of a Colorado K-12 system since President Donald Trump returned to office last year.
The agency’s on Monday accused the district of having clubs that “exclude students based on race” and of using students’ race to determine class assignments and academic support, according to a news release announcing the investigation.
The office did not identify the clubs in question or provide further details about those allegations.
The department is also investigating a parent committee — called the Voices of Color Committee — that the Office of Civil Rights said grants access based solely on race, “denying other parents an equal opportunity to participate in the decisions that directly impact their children’s education.”
The Education Department said it has received complaints that the district trains teachers that the U.S. “was founded on ‘white supremacy,’ ” according to the news release.
The agency accuses Cherry Creek Schools of violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“These allegations of racially discriminatory conduct in this District seem to permeate almost every aspect of the school community, affecting students, teachers, and parents alike,” Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey said in a statement. “Federal law prohibits racial discrimination, which means that race cannot be a factor in how the school educates its students or trains its teachers.
The Trump administration previously launched separate investigations into Denver Public Schools and Jeffco Public Schools, accusing the districts of discriminating against girls for policies that support transgender students.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
