Segregation by skin color is illegal

Last week, a parents group filed a complaint against Pathfinder K-8 Public School in Seattle for racial discrimination.

The civil rights group filed a complaint on April 11 with the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education against principal Britney Holmes and the Seattle School District for discriminating against white students at the elementary school.

The complaint presents evidence that Principal Holmes issued invitations to black and "multi-racial" children to attend an educational program but excluded white students.

The principal and teachers organized student gatherings titled, "Affinity Groups, Listening Sessions" on school grounds and informed white students and their parents that they were not permitted to attend.

As a remedy FAIR calls on the Office for Civil Rights to order the school to:

"Immediately cease separating students and community members on the basis of race, skin color, and national origin. Investigate the school leadership to determine if such leaders are capable of leading the school in accordance with civil rights laws."

Pathfinder K-8 is not the only public school parents have recently accused of violating the civil rights of students. Two months ago, the rights group Parents Defending Education filed a similar complaint against the Olympia School District.

Local officials there issued invitations to some students to attend education sessions while telling white students they are not welcome.

The recent discriminatory actions are the result of the Critical Race Theory mandate that state lawmakers imposed on schools under Senate Bill 5044, signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee in May 2021. The race-based program implements a harmful ideology in public schools and exposes local principals and district officials to legal action as parents act to defend their children's rights to fair and equal access to educational opportunities.

Still, Principal Holmes and officials at the Seattle and Olympia school district also share the blame.

As the first line of defense in protecting children's equal access to education they should have known the civil rights implications of the Governor's CRT directive.

They should also work with parents to ensure that public schools are fully inclusive, and that no white child will be told he or she is not welcome.

Everyone knows it is morally wrong to segregate children based on color, race or ethnicity. Moreover it's illegal, which is exactly what school officials in Seattle and Olympia are now finding out.

–– Liv Finne is the director for the Center for Education at the Washington Policy Center. Email her at [email protected].