Defending Education has filed another civil rights complaint, this time against Portland Schools for violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Yesterday, Townhall reported that Defending Education filed another civil rights complaint against Seattle Schools over violations of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA).
The complaint against Portland Schools centers on the district's billion-dollar Center for Black Student Excellence and its race-based policies.
🚨BREAKING: Defending Ed filed a civil rights complaint against Portland Public Schools for its billion-dollar Center for Black Student Excellence.
— Defending Education (@DefendingEd) December 17, 2025
Defending Ed’s @SarahPPerry: pic.twitter.com/36Cf6udSGb
On December 17, 2025, Defending Education filed a civil rights complaint against Portland Public Schools (PPS) for the diversion of millions in taxpayer dollars to the construction of and programs associated with the Center for Black Student Excellence (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 PPS district appears to be engaged in not only racially discriminatory programming and operations, but also appears to be doing so in a way both financially reckless and in violation of its fiduciary responsibilities to the people of Portland.
On November 3, 2020, Portland residents voted to approve Measure 26-215, a $1.2 billion construction bond for Portland Public Schools that also established the district’s Center for Black Student Excellence (CBSE). Not only is the legality of this bond initiative questionable at best, CSBE’s Guiding Principles reflect its racial focus by promising to “center Blackness unapologetically,” “ensure that Black students and Black Educators in PPS access empowering activities, services, and relationships,” “ensure that Black students will graduate with a post-secondary plan,” and “emulate intentionality around bringing out the excellence in Black students.” Although the report suggests improvements only for black students, it acknowledges that Portland students of all races struggle academically.
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Defending Education also learned that on December 2, 2025, the district voted unanimously to purchase a commercial building to house the CBSE for $16 million; the building will also require at least another $20 million in renovations and two years of construction.
In their press release, Defending Education writes, "For the foreseeable future, PPS will own an empty building dedicated to segregated education that will not educate a single Portland child, all while facing a $50 million budgetary shortfall next year."
This is not the first time Defending Education has filed a complaint against Portland Public Schools. They filed one in April of this year, again for violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
Recently, Defending Ed filed a complaint in Oregon against Portland Public Schools for its discrimination on the basis of race in programs/activities. Read the full complaint at: https://t.co/AhylqRSIVB https://t.co/MTL0zoSZgo pic.twitter.com/JUsPgt0oim
— Defending Education (@DefendingEd) April 28, 2025
In October, it also filed a civil rights complaint against Minneapolis Public Schools regarding the district's race-based curriculum.
Defending Education is dedicated to rooting out discriminatory behaviors and policies in school districts nationwide. In a statement released to Townhall, Defending Education's vice president and legal fellow Sarah Parshall Perry said, “Portland schools has been playing race politics with taxpayer money in its advancement of a student success center designed to benefit only one race of students. But the school district even admits that students of all races are struggling, so why invest $16 million in a vacant building in desperate need of renovation that will remain empty for the foreseeable future? The answer is simple: because it prefers its racially motivated virtue signaling over the Constitution’s demands of colorblindness in government programs. Leadership needs a serious wake up call.”
Editor's Note: President Trump is fighting to dismantle the Department of Education and ensure America's kids get the education they deserve.
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