Department of Justice Sues Rhode Island Schools Over Loan Forgiveness Program
The Rhode Island Department of Education and the Providence Public School District are facing legal action from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding a student loan forgiveness program that is exclusively available to non-white teachers.
Hal Hermeet K. Dillon, Assistant Director of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, stated that while helping new educators manage student debt is important, it isn’t appropriate to base the benefits on the race of the teacher. He emphasized that this kind of discrimination in employment practices is unacceptable.
The program in question allows non-white teachers to potentially receive university loans up to $25,000 after completing three years of service in the district. Eligibility criteria specify that recipients must identify as Asian, Black, Indigenous, Latino, interracial, or multi-ethnic.
This lawsuit follows a civil rights complaint filed in 2022 by the Legal Rebellion Foundation, a Rhode Island-based nonprofit. They argued that the Providence Public School District was engaging in discriminatory practices by limiting loan forgiveness to non-white educators, which runs counter to federal employment discrimination laws.
In a recent decision, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission affirmed that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination, urging the district to resolve any violations. The Providence Public School District stated their intention to engage with the EEOC to resolve the allegations as soon as possible.
A senior official from PPSD shared with Fox News that the district has been working earnestly with the DOJ to reach a resolution. However, they noted that, due to ongoing litigation, they would refrain from making further comments.
William Jacobson, a law professor at Cornell and founder of the Equal Protection Project, expressed satisfaction with the DOJ’s decision to pursue this case, referring to the program as “racist.” He pointed out that this lawsuit has roots in the civil rights complaint submitted by the Legal Rebellion Foundation two years ago. Jacobson hopes that those responsible for the program are held accountable by the law.
