In Massachusetts, a parent group is upset their white children were not asked to participate in a “healing space” created for students of color.
The group, Parents Defending Education (PDE), filed a civil rights complaint against Wellesley Public Schools for inviting Black, Brown, Asian and Indigenous students to a healing event that white students were not invited to, Fox News reports. The invitation was sent via email in March 2021 and stated the event was hosted by the “WPS Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.” It added that it was for students in 6-12 grade and “faculty/staff.”
“*Note: This is a safe space for our Asian/Asian-American and Students of Color, *not* for students who identify only as White,” the email read. It adds: “If you identify as White and need help to process recent events, please know I’m here for you as well as your guidance counselors. If you need to know more about why this is not for White students, please ask me!”
Fox News reports the complaint was filed last week with the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights. In a letter to the district, PDE president Nicole Neily wrote: “As the Department of Education is no doubt aware, segregation on the basis of race raises concerns that Wellesley Public Schools has received federal funds in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which declares that ‘no person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”
This comes after several parents, mainly white parents, continue to challenge critical race theory on a federal level. PDE claims the healing groups designated for students of color are racist and not allowed under the 14th Amendment.
