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DOJ investigating Rhode Island schools over loan forgiveness program only for 'educators of color'
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched an investigation into a Rhode Island school district to determine whether its student loan forgiveness program for teachers discriminates against White applicants.
In a March 21 letter sent to Providence Public School District (PPSD) and the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE), the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Office announced an investigation into whether the district and education office’s employment practices — specifically a student loan forgiveness program — have engaged in racial discrimination against White teachers.
“It is important to note that we have not reached any conclusions about the subject matter of the investigation. We intend to consider all relevant information, and we welcome your assistance in helping to identify what that might be,” the letter states, as first reported by The Boston Globe.
PPSD’s “Educator of Color Loan Forgiveness Program” offers student loan forgiveness for educators of color through a grant from a nonprofit, the Rhode Island Foundation.
PARENTAL RIGHTS GROUP FILES COMPLAINT AGAINST OREGON SCHOOL SYSTEM FOR ALLEGED RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
Providence Public Schools in Rhode Island was slapped with a civil rights complaint in 2022 over its Educator of Color Loan Forgiveness Program. (iStock)
Recipients can receive up to $25,000 of college loans forgiven once the teacher completes three consecutive years of teaching in the district. The eligibility requirements indicate recipients must “identify as Asian, Black, Indigenous, Latino, biracial, or multi-racial” and must have at least $5,000 in student loans to repay.
Legal Insurrection Foundation (LIF), a Rhode Island-based, nonprofit investigative and research group that fights discrimination in education, filed a complaint with the Department of Education in 2022, claiming that the district was engaged in an ongoing “practice of discrimination” by making this program only available to non-White applicants.
The group was unsuccessful in getting the Biden administration to take up the case, but was “thrilled” upon learning the Trump administration’s Justice Department would be investigating.
“It’s been almost two and almost two and a half years since we filed it,” Cornell Law School professor and LIF President William A. Jacobson told Fox News Digital.
“We followed up. It got transferred to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. We followed up with them repeatedly. We couldn’t get the Biden administration to do anything to stop this. And finally, the new Trump administration under the Department of Justice Civil Rights Office has brought an action. So we’re very pleased with that,” he added.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION LAUNCHES ‘ENDEI’ PORTAL FOR PARENTS, STUDENTS TEACHERS TO REPORT DISCRIMINATION
President Joe Biden, left, and President-elect Donald Trump are pictured in front of the United States Department of Justice Headquarters. (Getty Images)
Jacobson said they were “extremely thankful” that the DOJ was taking action because the case had “no other place to go.”
“The Rhode Island attorney general could have brought suit here. There are Rhode Island laws that are being violated. But nothing was done. The political infrastructure in the state of Rhode Island unfortunately insulates powerful political and economic players from the rules that everyone else has to abide by,” he said.
“If this was just a private company doing this, probably the regulators would have gotten involved. Probably somebody would have been willing to sue. But because it’s the largest school district in the state, being run by the state Department of Education, funded by the largest charity in the state, I think they felt immunity from the rules everyone else has to abide by,” he continued.
Jacobson called the program an “outrageous” example of racial discrimination that would have caused a national uproar if it had favored White applicants.
“Can you imagine if a school district had a program only open to White teachers? It would be a national uproar,” he said. “But there seems to be an attitude that as long as the discrimination is against Whites, it’s lawful. But it’s not. The civil rights laws protect everybody equally. And that’s what we’re seeking here. “
Cornell professor William A. Jacobson spoke to Fox News Digital about the DOJ opening an investigation into a Rhode Island school district after Jacobson’s group, Legal Insurrection Foundation, filed a civil rights complaint. (Fox News Digital)
Jacobson said his group launched its Equal Protection Project, which focuses on combating racism and other equal protection violations, because of how “egregious” the PPSD program was.
The LIF is also calling on the Justice Department to investigate the nonprofit charity which funds the PPSD loan forgiveness program, the Rhode Island Foundation, alleging the nonprofit has been a “major funder of discrimination” in Rhode Island schools.
The Rhode Island Foundation did not respond to a request for comment.
PPSD confirmed to Fox News Digital that the DOJ notified the district and the Rhode Island Department of Education on Friday that an investigation into their student loan forgiveness program had been launched.
“It is important to understand that this is an investigation, and no conclusions have been reached at this time,” a spokesperson for PPSD told Fox News Digital. “PPSD is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, national origin or other protected status. We remain committed in our efforts to recruit and retain a teaching population that reflects the diverse community we serve.”
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Legal Insurrection Foundation President William A. Jacobson said Providence Public School District’s Educator of Color Loan Forgiveness Program was racially discriminatory toward White teachers. (iStock)
PPSD also shared with Fox News Digital a letter that Providence Schools’ Superintendent Javier Montañez sent to the school board on Sunday, reiterating that PPSD was “an equal opportunity employer” that does not “discriminate on the basis of race.”
Montañez said the legal counsel for PPSD and the Rhode Island Department of Education would collaborate with the DOJ on the investigation.
The superintendent said the loan forgiveness program had been created in 2021 to help the district attract more diverse educators, at a time when non-White students represented approximately 80% of the student population, but less than 20% of educators in the district identified as teachers of color.
“Increasing the diversity of our teaching force is not only aligned with the core values of the District, but also has a direct, positive impact on student outcomes as demonstrated by years of educational research,” he wrote.
“This loan forgiveness program was created with the best interest of students in mind to ensure that our students are taught by individuals to whom they can both identify and relate as well as those who are talented and skilled in their academic craft,” he added.
The DOJ did not return a request for comment.
Fox News’ Brian Flood contributed to this report.
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Boston Celtics
“The respect for Joe Mazzulla, the way he might see that roster … I think it’s worth watching.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s trade rumors seem to evolve weekly, but two teams have been linked to the former NBA champion and league MVP more than any others: the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat.
Since trade rumors initially picked up early in the offseason, it’s believed that Antetokounmpo’s preferred trade destination is a title contender in the Eastern Conference. Outside of the obvious Knicks, who are up 2-0 in the NBA Finals, there are a handful of teams that fit that bill: Detroit, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Orlando could be considered in that tier of Eastern Conference teams.
However, most teams that have the assets to trade for Antetokounmpo would need to gut the better parts of their lineup in order to make a legal trade happen, and that would make them less likely to be contenders.
That’s the advantage Boston seemingly possesses over just about every other team Antetokounmpo would be willing to play for: its roster would not be depleted in the process of acquiring the ‘Greek Freak’.
Speaking on the Dan Patrick Show, The Athletic’s Sam Amick said the rumors of Antetokounmpo to the Celtics have some serious traction, at least on Antetokounmpo’s end.
“Miami is the loudest noise, you continue to hear that … yes, it appears everybody you talk to says Miami at the deadline had a deal that was close,” Amick said. “So the noise is tied to Miami, but there’s also some understanding that Giannis has questions about what that Miami roster would look like on the other side of the deal.
“I think the Celtics are a pretty intriguing option in terms of being competitive,” Amick added. “This is something we’ve heard from Giannis’s side that the intrigue is real. The respect for Joe Mazzulla, the way that he might see that roster. Do I think it changes things? I don’t know yet. But I think it’s worth watching.”
The seemingly obvious piece for Boston to send back, whether to the Bucks or a third involved team, is Jaylen Brown. Brown has a similar contract to Antetokounmpo’s, and is a quality enough player that he could be the only player the Celtics trade away in the deal, giving them plenty of runway to compete for a championship in the aftermath.
So, from a salary cap-balancing perspective, the trade could be done easily. But Boston will have other factors to consider. Does the fit with Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum together make sense and will it lead to a better title shot? And, even if Brad Stevens thinks it is, does it make sense to trade away your longest tenured player who has already proven he can win a championship alongside Tatum.
Brown’s name has been dangled in a few different rumored trade scenarios over the last few offseasons, but no other occasion has had this much traction behind it.
And for the Bucks, trading Antetokounmpo appears to be a near-certainty at this juncture.
“It seems very likely … it’s not often you have an owner publicly framing the timeline, and that’s what Jimmy Haslem did. We just saw Jimmy Haslem do a blockbuster trade with Myles Garrett in the NFL, showing he’s certainly ready to pull that trigger if he needs to. I do expect it to happen.”
So the Heat and Celtics, who have built quite a fierce rivalry in the 21st century, and especially with their recent playoff clashes, will be pitted against each other once more. This time, Antetokounmpo is up for grabs.
Stevens entered the offseason saying he’d do everything in his power to make Boston a more competitive team and bring them another championship. He also said he’d take a dunk over a 3-pointer on every possession if he could. If he lands Antetokounmpo, he just might get both his wishes.
PHOTO BY DAVE BRYCE PHOTOGRAPHY
From warm maple and mossy green finishes on its cabinetry to the brass plumbing fixtures on the sink, the kitchen of this Treesdale home in Adams Township is all about natural warmth and soft color.
It’s a space that architect Robert Gaskill of Gaskill Architecture, who spearheaded the renovation project, describes as timeless and collected.
“The classic cabinetry, use of natural stone, brass hardware and rich, warm maple wood tone has been relevant for decades and will continue to age beautifully,” Gaskill says. “Rather than leaning into trendy design elements, this kitchen design focuses on authenticity. The layered materials give this kitchen timeless character, which makes it feel as if it evolved over time rather than being tied to a specific moment.”
PHOTO BY DAVE BRYCE PHOTOGRAPHY
The kitchen’s ageless design led to it being named Best Renovated Kitchen in Pittsburgh Magazine’s Best of Design contest.
“I think the kitchen feels really cozy; it’s going to be a great place for people to gather,” says judge Katie Savakis, a project designer at Vocon’s Cleveland office. “This kitchen feels very Ralph Lauren, but in the best way.”
Judge Crystal Knapik, an architect and senior associate at CannonDesign in St. Louis, also praised the contrast in the materials.
“I like how they choose that mossy green to be the main character of the kitchen,” she says. “They balanced the dark tones with the bright white ceiling and the white marble on the island.”
Art Rectenwald purchased the home in 2022 and shares it with his wife, Irinia, and his daughter, Annabelle. (“Plus two dogs, two cats, ten chickens and five horses,” he adds.)
The kitchen renovation originally wasn’t part of an overall home addition, but as the project evolved, it became clear the existing builder-grade space wasn’t going to cut it. Rectenwald says that the previous kitchen was “bland and low quality,” but calls the updated space “cozy, beautiful and efficient.”
PHOTO BY DAVE BRYCE PHOTOGRAPHY
Irina Rectenwald is an architect specializing in environmental design, and her husband says her vision and research provided the primary inspiration for the space. Gaskill seconds this, adding that the selections were “heavily guided by the homeowners’ aesthetic preferences and style.”
The cabinetry pairs a warm maple finish on the range wall and island with a mossy green painted finish on the side elevations. The refrigerator is fully integrated within tall maple cabinetry, allowing it to blend seamlessly into the design. Two tiled towers also frame the range wall, introducing texture while creating niches for displaying personal objects.
“The tiled corner niches are my favorite,” Rectenwald says. “Our corners now display sculptures and artwork versus blenders and coffee makers.”
The homeowners add it feels good to know that their vision, and the hard work that went into bringing the space to life, is appreciated.
“The finished product is everything and more of what we hoped for,” Rectenwald says. “Every detail turned out how we envisioned or better.”
Vendors
Architectural Design: Gaskill Architecture
Interior Design: Gaskill Architecture
General Contractor: TK Construction
Cabinetry: Beahm and Son Ltd. Custom Cabinetry
Fixtures: Brizo
Countertops: Top It Off Granite
Tile: The Tile Shop
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