First appearance on Fox: A Wisconsin parent claims his son was turned over without the extra academic instruction he needed because of language on the school's website that prioritized students for additional support based on their race. , is considering legal action.
Attorney at the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Freedom, Green Bay Area Public School District; argue on behalf of the clientMrs. Colby Decker, said in the letter that the district's “troubling” and “unlawful” policies “explicitly prioritize race-based reading support resources, thereby violating the United States Constitution and the 1964 Civil Rights Act.” Violating Title VI of the Act.'' Obtained by Fox News Digital.
“Mrs. Decker's child, who has dyslexia, has received different (and less favorable) services because he is white,” the letter said. “Had Mrs. Decker's son been black, Hispanic, or Native American, he would have received better treatment and different services.”
Decker told Fox News Digital that her son had been receiving one-on-one reading services in another school district and thought he would continue receiving them when he moved to his current school district in January 2024, but that he was unable to receive additional support. He said he was placed on a waiting list.
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Colby Decker told Fox News Digital that he believes his son is being discriminated against in his Wisconsin school district. (Fox News Digital)
Decker said she learned of the policy after looking at the school's website.
”“I asked them straight up: Does he receive fewer services or is he a lower priority because he's white?” Decker said. Their skin color is truly terrifying. So the principal got back to me and to my surprise he was very excited to explain to me about the work in these priority groups. ”
Citing the school's website, the letter claims that “the district's literacy policy provides for 'priority group' students, namely Black, Hispanic, and Native American students,” and that the school will prioritize additional resources. The school says it will make deliberate efforts to educate priority students. for Indigenous, Black, and Hispanic students; ”
“According to multiple district officials, this policy is in effect and extends to Mrs. Decker's son.”
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The Wisconsin mother said all parents “want their children to be treated equally.” (St. Petersburg)
Wording on the school's website states next to an asterisk at the bottom of the page: “Priority performance goals are set based on data showing that they meet the needs of some student groups better than others. ” is written.
“Focusing on high-priority, high-achieving student groups improves your skills as an educator and ultimately benefits all students.”
In the letter to the school district, “ King Elementary School Success Planshould be rescinded in favor of a “color-blind approach” to resource allocation, along with “immediate and appropriate assistance” for Mr. Decker's son, who is “unjustly excluded from the opportunity to receive necessary resources.”
“It's really morally and legally problematic to see policies that explicitly prioritize resources based on race,” Corey Brewer, general counsel for WILL, told FOX News Digital. “The law requires Colby's son and his children to be treated equally with other children, regardless of their race. They should not receive special treatment based on the color of their skin. And the fact that this school district has bought into the idea that kids need to be treated differently is a real problem based on race. ”
“We are calling on the district to immediately reverse its discriminatory policies and adopt a color-blind approach to how it allocates resources, focusing on the needs of individual students. We are asking the school district to provide Colby's son with the resources he needs,'' Brewer continued. “There is no reason it will take him this long to gain that support. If the school district does not change its discriminatory policies, the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty will take every legal step to protect Colby's son's rights.” will be pursued.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Green Bay Area School District for comment and received the following statement on Tuesday: “The district received the letter from WILL yesterday and we are investigating the allegations. However, the district policy, including the language contained in the letter, “It is clear that we do not have the facts.'' ”
“All district policies must be approved by the school board, and no such policy language exists.”
The spokesperson added that the school success plan language is “designed to outline the school's goals for continuous improvement, but is not considered board (district) policy.” A spokesperson called this an “important difference.”
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Decker told Fox News Digital that other parents she spoke to were “in disbelief” when informed of the situation, adding that every parent “just wants their child to be treated equally.” “There is,” he said.
“I know that whenever a parent or grandparent advocates for a child, they really want that child to be treated equally,” Decker said. “And that's not what happens when someone is prioritized. If someone is prioritized over someone else's child, they need to be deprioritized. And that's not what happens in most of America. I don't think they want to move education forward.''
“I think everyone wants us to be completely colorblind and see our kids as just kids. My son is in the 17th percentile in reading in his state, but he We have kids who are achieving at a high level, and the color of their skin is the only priority, and most parents wouldn't want that to happen in an educational setting.”
