Cherry Creek Schools denied the Trump administration’s allegations that it excludes students from clubs and other programming based on race, saying in a letter to federal officials that the district “has a compelling interest” in promoting equity.
The U.S. Department of Education launched an investigation into Cherry Creek Schools in June, accusing the district of having “a wide range of racially discriminatory programming.”
In a July 14 response to the Education Department’s Office of Civil Rights, Cherry Creek Schools said that while it has fostered conversations among students, staff and employees around equity, race and diversity, the district has not engaged in racial segregation nor prevented students from joining clubs or other programming based on their race.
“The district has a compelling interest in furthering its educational mission, advancing educational equity, and creating an inclusive and equitable environment for all students and staff,” Cherry Creek officials wrote in the letter, obtained through the Colorado Open Records Act.
The Department of Education accuses Cherry Creek Schools of violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which the district denies.
A spokesperson for the Office for Civil Rights declined to comment Monday.
“We intend to vigorously defend against these unfounded allegations,” said spokeswoman Abbe Smith in a statement. “Cherry Creek Schools is committed to educational excellence and equity, and to ensuring our schools are safe and welcoming spaces for all students, staff, and families.”
The agency said it received complaints that the district trains teachers that the U.S. was “founded on ‘white supremacy’ and categorizes individuals as ‘oppressors’ and ‘oppressed’ based only on their skin color.” The department is looking into a parent committee — called the Voices of Color Committee — that the Office for Civil Rights alleges grants access based solely on race.
Cherry Creek Schools denied that only people of a certain race can join the committee, saying that the organization holds public monthly meetings to discuss issues relevant to students and families of color and that the meetings “are open to anyone, regardless of race,” according to the district’s letter.
The district provides professional development for staff on topics such as equity and race, but employees are not required to attend the sessions and can choose other training, Cherry Creek officials wrote.
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“…(T)he district has not engaged in racial segregation through its programs or activities and therefore has not violated Title VI,” Cherry Creek officials wrote.
The district said it also does not have a policy called “Systemic Racial Equity Transformation” or something similar, despite the federal government’s allegations to the contrary.
But Cherry Creek Schools does use a “Transformational Equity Framework” to approach educational equity work in the district, officials wrote.
The Trump administration has repeatedly threatened to pull federal funding from K-12 districts nationwide that implement policies the federal government has called discriminatory, such as those that aim to recruit more Black teachers or support transgender students.
The Office for Civil Rights has launched separate investigations into Denver Public Schools and Jeffco Public Schools, accusing the districts of discriminating against girls with policies that support transgender students.
Jeffco Public Schools sued the agency last week to prevent the federal government from pulling more than $50 million in K-12 funding.
The Department of Education is also investigating DPS after a teacher was accused of making female students kiss in class. The district fired the teacher earlier this year.
Cherry Creek Schools is Colorado’s fourth-largest K-12 system, with more than 53,000 students. Just over half of the district’s population are students of color.
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