Oakland schools in hotseat over 'students of color' program while taking millions in federal funding

FIRST ON FOX — The Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) is in the hot seat over a federally funded "Latinx Mentoring and Achievement Program" that allegedly excludes White students from receiving academic support, mentorship, and cash incentives.

Parents Defending Education (PDE), a national educational rights group, filed a federal civil rights complaint against the district alleging that its Latino Men & Boys (LMB) and Latina Mentoring & Achievement (LMA) programs violate Title VI and Title IX of the Civil Rights Act.

"The Supreme Court has recognized only two compelling interests that permit resort to race-based government action: first, 'remediating specific identified instances of past discrimination that violated the Constitution or a statute,' and second, 'avoiding imminent and serious risks to human safety in prisons, such as a race riot,'" the complaint, sent exclusively to Fox News Digital, states.

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Parents Defending Education, a grassroots organization, filed a federal civil rights complaint against the district alleging that its Latino Men & Boys (LMB) and Latina Mentoring & Achievement (LMA) programs violate Title VI and Title IX of the Civil Rights Act. (iStock)

The initiative, nationally recognized by The Obama Foundation, is listed under OUSD’s "Community Partners" webpage and operates in conjunction with The Unity Council — an Oakland-based organization that claims to promote "social equity and enhancing quality of life by creating vibrant communities where everyone can work, learn, and thrive."

According to The Unity Council’s website, the initiatives "are school-based, culturally rooted programs located in selected schools in the Oakland Unified School District." The original LMB program was later expanded to create the LMA program following initial outreach.

"The programs work with Latinx youth ages 12–18 and their families and schools to improve outcomes in mental and physical health, education, and career planning," The Unity Council's site states. "The program significantly increases graduation rates for Latinx youth in Oakland schools and promotes healthy lifestyles, academic focus and leadership development. The program is available for male-identified, female-identified, and non-binary youth."

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The Latino Men & Boys program was later expanded into the Latina Mentoring & Achievement after having success. (iStock)

However, PDE’s civil rights complaint alleges that because OUSD receives millions in federal financial assistance, offering racially exclusive perks through third-party partners breaches federal nondiscrimination laws.

The complaint further details that the LMB initiative grants direct financial payouts to participating students.

"During the 2024-2025 school year, the Unity Council distributed roughly $3,000 in ‘milestones and stipends’ to minority students through the LMB program," the complaint states. "This is important because the LMB program discriminates against students based on race. For example, OUSD’s 2022-2023 service agreement with the Unity Council says that the LMB program is offered to ‘Latino males and other students of color’ and their families. OUSD’s 2024-2025 service agreement likewise states that the LMB program is meant for ‘approximately two hundred Latino young men and their families.’"

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The Oakland Unified School District is in the hotseat over their "Latinx Mentoring and Achievement Program" while receiving millions in federal funding. (Jeffrey Basinger/Newsday RM via Getty Images)

"In other words, OUSD pays the Unity Council to run a program that gives tutoring, mentoring, health and wellness programs, and even cash to male minority students — specifically male Latino students," PDE argues in its filing. "But the LMB program does not include White students. Nor does OUSD offer any other similar support program for White OUSD students. Because the program denies these benefits to White students, it discriminates against these students on the basis of race."

Neither OUSD nor The Unity Council immediately responded to Fox News Digital's requests for comment regarding the federal complaint.

"Oakland Unified School District has forgotten that ours is a colorblind Constitution. In a ham-fisted attempt to guarantee student ‘equity’ outcomes, Oakland USD has sponsored a multitude of programs geared toward only one race or sex in violation of federal law," said Sarah Parshall Perry, Vice President and Legal Fellow at Defending Education.

Perry went on to say, "Cash stipends, tutoring assistance, wellness programs, and food and housing benefits for only one group of students, to the exclusion of others, are just the tip of the iceberg in one of California's largest school districts. Discriminating on the basis of race or sex--even when classified as a benign ‘diversity’ effort--is illegal. This Administration has made that abundantly clear, but it seems Oakland is due for a refresher."

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