PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit today against the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) and the Providence Public School District (PPSD), claiming their student loan forgiveness program for “teachers of color” unlawfully excludes white teachers based on race.
At the center of the complaint is the “Educators of Color Loan Forgiveness Program,” launched in 2021 in partnership with the Rhode Island Foundation. The initiative offers up to $25,000 in student loan forgiveness to newly hired teachers at PPSD who identify as “teachers of color.” Eligible individuals include those who identify as Black, Hispanic, Asian, American Indian, or two or more races — excluding only white teachers.
In a statement issued by the Department of Justice’s Office of Public Affairs, the agency argued that the exclusion violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race. In the complaint, the department characterizes the program as a “pattern or practice of discrimination” against white teachers employed in the district.
“While assisting new teachers in paying off their student loans may be a worthy cause, such a benefit of employment simply cannot be granted or withheld on the basis of the teachers’ race,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division. “We will not tolerate such plainly prohibited discrimination in employment.”
The lawsuit seeks a permanent injunction to halt the program and prevent similar race-based initiatives in the future. It also calls for equitable relief for white teachers who were excluded solely due to their race.
The case originated from an investigation led by the Employment Litigation Section of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
