The News: The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) is calling on the Trump Administration to investigate a Hispanic-only party hosted by the Tippecanoe Valley Middle School in Akron, Indiana. Non-Hispanic students were segregated and then denied access to the party, based on their race, to the school-sanctioned party celebrating the Christian holiday, Día de Los Reyes Magos or Three Kings Day. Racial segregation violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The Quotes: WILL Associate Counsel, Lauren Greuel, stated, “Brown v. Board of Education made it clear: racial segregation in public schools has no place in America. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 reaffirmed that truth, banning race-based discrimination nationwide. Yet today, this school is in violation of both. We urge the Office for Civil Rights and the Department of Justice to launch a swift and thorough investigation into these serious violations of federal law.”
What Happened: On January 16, 2025, a teacher with the Tippecanoe Valley Middle School restricted students who were not Hispanic from enjoying the privilege of participating in a party celebrating Día de Los Reyes Magos, or Three Kings Day. Students who were not Hispanic were not invited or included in this party and remained in a “study hall,” preventing them from taking part in the celebration. The school commended this segregated party in a Facebook post.
When the teacher received complaints from parents about the party, the teacher said she pulled the children out of class to celebrate their heritage and that marginalized societies need special attention to feel inclusive. After parents took their concerns to the principal, the entire Facebook post was then taken down.
Why it’s Wrong: Title VI prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. 42 U.S.C. § 2000(d); 34 C.F.R. § 100.1. More specifically, Title VI does not allow schools receiving federal funding to “restrict an individual in any way in the enjoyment of any advantage or privilege enjoyed by others receiving any service, financial aid, or other benefit under the program” on the “grounds of race, color, or national origin.” 34 C.F.R. § 100.3(b)(1)(iv).
Prohibiting racial discrimination in educational settings has been upheld repeatedly by the Supreme Court of the United States and in cases like Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and Brown v. Board of Education. The Trump administration’s Department of Education has also reaffirmed its commitment to the prohibition on racial segregation in schools in its February 14, 2025 “Dear Colleague” letter.
Read more:
- Title VI Complaint, April 2025
Lauren Greuel
Associate Counsel