The News: The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL)’s Equality Under the Law Project condemns Appleton East High School’s racially segregated back-to-school events. Two back-to-school nights will be held in August, with one night being designated for only “Freshmen Students of Color” and their families.
The Quote: WILL Deputy Counsel, Dan Lennington, stated, “Entering high school as a freshman is an exciting and sometimes anxiety-producing event. It’s simply outrageous that Appleton East is picking and choosing among its incoming freshmen based on race, giving some preferred races a back-to-school night two weeks earlier than other less-preferred races. We’re calling on the District leadership to reject this racist event.”
Unconstitutional Discrimination: As the United States Supreme Court recently explained in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, race discrimination has no place in public education. Racial preferences are immoral, unconstitutional, and illegal under federal and state law. The United States Constitution contains a “pledge of racial equality” that demands the “equality of treatment before the law for all persons without regard to race or color.”
No Explanation or Reason: Appleton East has not explained, at least publicly, why it planned this segregated event. The post simply says that “we want all people to feel welcome and included.” Yet excluding some students based on race is no way to make “all people feel welcome.”
WILL’s Further Action: The letter explains that if Appleton East does not remove the post and open the back-to-school nights to all races, WILL shall file a formal complaint with the Office of Civil Rights, United States Department of Education. The complaint will seek a formal investigation of Appleton East’s events.
Read More:
- Letter to Appleton East High School, August 9 2023
Deputy Counsel
Associate Counsel
