Education Secretary Linda McMahon said Tuesday that the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights is opening an investigation into Portland Public Schools and allegations that its Center for Black Student Excellence discriminates on the basis of race.

The nonprofit organization, Defending Education, filed a Civil Rights complaint against the school district late last year, which claimed the district diverted tens of millions in taxpayer dollars to the construction of and programs associated with the CBSE in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution’s 14th Amendment.

The alleged civil rights violation occurred last year after the school board voted to purchase a commercial building to house the CBSE for $16 million, while the building will need an additional $20 to $25 million in renovations. 

The Education Department also noted that the school board rejected a proposal to allocate $40 million to a Native Student Success Center, despite similar academic struggles in the district.  

“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," she continued. "OCR is committed to vigorously enforcing Title VI to ensure that excellence—not exclusion—defines schools so every child has an opportunity to succeed.” 

Defending Education praised the Education Department for opening the probe in a statement shared with Just The News. 

“We at Defending Education are incredibly gratified that the Department of Education's Civil Rights Office is opening an investigation into Portland Public Schools over its Black Student Success Plan and the millions in associated taxpayer dollars it intends to expend in advancing learning for students of only one race," Defending Education Vice President and Legal Fellow Sarah Parshall Perry said. 

"The data is clear: every student, in every demographic, is falling behind in Portland, and the city cannot afford to play politics with race or fast and loose with longstanding civil rights law designed to guarantee equality in education," she added.