US Investigating Portland Public Schools For Racial Discrimination

Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Federal officials are investigating Portland Public Schools in Oregon for alleged racial discrimination in the district’s Center for Black Student Excellence (CBSE) program, the U.S. Department of Education stated on Feb. 17.

“CBSE’s guiding principles pledge to ‘center Blackness unapologetically’ by offering black students year-round academic interventions in math and literacy, tutoring, food assistance, and transportation support,” the department’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) said in a statement.

“According to a complaint filed with OCR, a recent $1.2 billion bond includes tens of millions allocated for academic interventions, wraparound support, facilities, and family programs exclusively for black students, despite PPS [Portland Public Schools] data showing other student groups face similar or greater challenges.”

According to the department, PPS data from 2021–2022 showed “widespread academic struggles” among various racial groups.

Among black students at PPS, only 17 percent met third-grade reading proficiency levels, with Native American students at 17.6 percent and Pacific Islanders at 16.7 percent.

As for graduation rates, 79.4 percent of PPS black students got high school diplomas, while 73.7 percent of Latino students and 61.5 percent of Native American students graduated.

“Despite these disparities, the PPS school board rejected a proposal to allocate $40 million to a Native Student Success Center,” the federal department stated.

The PPS actions may violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bans discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, or color in education programs and activities that receive funding from the federal government, according to the department.

“Civil rights law—and basic fairness—demand that every student, regardless of race, has equal access to educational programs and support,” Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey said.

“Although students of many races are falling behind, PPS is reserving academic interventions and essential resources exclusively for Black students. Discrimination disguised as ‘equity’ is still discrimination. OCR is committed to vigorously enforcing Title VI to ensure that excellence—not exclusion—defines schools so every child has an opportunity to succeed.”

The Epoch Times reached out to Portland Public Schools for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.

The CBSE webpage states that the center’s mission is to advance a culture of “Black excellence” and to “unify and elevate the Black educational experience.”

“Decades of underinvestment, systemic racism, lack of coordinated systems of support, and discriminatory practices have resulted in an enduring opportunity and achievement gap for Black students in Portland,” the center stated.

“The Center for Black Student Excellence comprises a constellation of academic programs, strategies, supports, and experiences reinforced by physical infrastructure … to create a transformational Approach to Black student learning.”

The civil complaint against PPS was filed with the Education Department on Dec. 17, 2025, by the nonprofit group Defending Education, according to a Feb. 17 release from the group.

On Dec. 2, 2025, the PPS board unanimously voted to purchase a commercial building for $16 million to house the CBSE.

“The building’s sky-high purchase price is only the beginning, however, as the structure needs another $20 [million] to $25 million in renovations and an estimated 24 to 30 months of construction,” the nonprofit group stated.

“For the foreseeable future, PPS will own an empty building dedicated to segregated education that will not educate a single Portland child, all while facing a $50 million budgetary shortfall next year.”

Louisiana Investigation

The Education Department recently raised concerns about Title VI violations in Louisiana’s higher education system.

On Feb. 13, the department’s Office for Civil Rights launched an investigation of the Louisiana Board of Regents, which coordinates all public higher education in the state, regarding whether its Master Plan for Higher Education violates Title VI.

The plan authorizes “racially-exclusionary practices and initiatives,” the department said. For instance, during fiscal years 2021–2022 and 2025–2026, the board’s budget included performance objectives that required schools to prioritize students from “all races other than white [and] Asian.”

“[The policy] appears to blatantly violate not only America’s antidiscrimination laws, but our nation’s core principles. Title VI guarantees all students equal access to educational programs and opportunities regardless of race, and OCR is committed to preserving these rights,” the department stated.

The Epoch Times has reached out to the Louisiana Board of Regents for comment.