The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Rhode Island Department of Education and the Providence Public School District, claiming their “Educators of Color Loan Forgiveness Program” illegally shut out white teachers.
Launched in 2021 with help from the Rhode Island Foundation, the $3.2 million program promised up to $25,000 in student loan forgiveness for new Providence teachers who identify as Black, Hispanic, Asian, American Indian, or multiracial. White teachers were the only group excluded.
The DOJ says that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and is demanding a federal judge shut it down, block any similar race-based programs, and grant relief for teachers denied solely because of their race.
“While assisting new teachers in paying off their student loans may be a worthy cause, such a benefit of employment simply cannot be granted or withheld on the basis of the teachers’ race,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, who runs the Civil Rights Division.
The program was pitched as a tool to “recruit and retain up to 127 teachers of color” in Providence schools over five years, but investigators say it crossed a bright legal line.
The lawsuit stems from a Civil Rights Division probe that concluded the policy was blatant discrimination against educators who didn’t qualify.
Now it’s up to the courts to decide if Rhode Island’s attempt to diversify its teacher ranks went too far.
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