By Joanne Clark
(Source: CNW)
Broward County Public Schools will cancel its popular Latinos in Action leadership course next semester after the U.S. Department of Education ruled the class violates federal civil rights law.
The elective course—offered at 44 middle and high schools across the district and enrolling roughly 2,800 students—was deemed discriminatory in a letter sent to the district last week.
The DOE’s Office for Civil Rights said the program is “designed for and exclusive to Latino students,” noting that it is not available to Black, white, or Asian American students. The department warned the district to comply within five days or risk losing $30 million in federal funding.
“The Latinos in Action program…is explicitly organized around the concept of Latino ethnicity,” the DOE letter stated, citing the organization’s own description that its goal is to “empower Latino youth to lead and strengthen their communities through college and career readiness.”
School Board member Adam Cervera, the board’s only Hispanic member, said he supports Latino representation but must follow the law.
“I am a proud Cuban American, and obviously I want Latinos to be well-represented in this district and in this community; however, we are going to do that within the confines of all state and federal legislation,” said Cervera.
“As a result, BCPS will transition away from the current Latinos in Action curriculum by the start of spring semester, as required,” the district said in a letter sent to parents Thursday night.
Latinos in Action operates in 16 states, including several Florida school districts, and functions as both a class and an extracurricular club. While the course will end in Broward, the district has not yet announced whether related club activities will continue.
