The Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) is facing a federal civil rights complaint over its "Latinx Mentoring and Achievement Program," which a watchdog group claims excludes White students from academic support, mentorship, and financial incentives. Parents Defending Education (PDE), a national educational rights organization, filed the complaint alleging that the district's Latino Men & Boys (LMB) and Latina Mentoring & Achievement (LMA) programs violate Title VI and Title IX of the Civil Rights Act.
According to the complaint, OUSD receives millions of dollars in federal funding, and offering racially exclusive benefits through third-party partners, like The Unity Council which operates the programs, constitutes a breach of federal nondiscrimination laws. The complaint cites OUSD's service agreements with The Unity Council, stating the LMB program is offered to "Latino males and other students of color" and is intended for "approximately two hundred Latino young men and their families."
PDE contends that by denying these benefits to White students, the district engages in racial discrimination. The complaint also highlights that during the 2024-2025 school year, The Unity Council reportedly distributed approximately $3,000 in "milestones and stipends" to minority students through the LMB program. The program, which The Obama Foundation has recognized nationally, aims to serve Latinx youth ages 12-18 and their families to improve outcomes in mental and physical health, education, and career planning. It was expanded from the original LMB program to include the LMA program after initial outreach efforts.
Sarah Parshall Perry, Vice President and Legal Fellow at Defending Education, stated that Oakland Unified School District appears to have disregarded the principle of a colorblind Constitution. "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," Perry said. "Discriminating on the basis of race or sex--even when classified as a benign ‘diversity’ effort--is illegal."
Neither OUSD nor The Unity Council immediately responded to requests for comment regarding the federal complaint.