Cherry Creek School District faces federal civil rights complaint

The Cherry Creek School District in Colorado is facing a federal civil rights complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Education. The complaint, submitted by the organization Defending Education, alleges that the district's agreement with its teachers' union constitutes racial discrimination in employment.

At the center of the dispute is the June 2023 ‘Educators of Color Declaration’. The agreement commits the district and the union to recruiting, retaining, and advancing educators of color. The complaint argues that this pledge violates Title VI and the Fourteenth Amendment by establishing racial preferences, even though the agreement contains separate language stating that hiring and advancement should be based on qualifications without regard to race.