Los Angeles, CA – The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has reopened a federal investigation into the Los Angeles Unified School District's (LAUSD) "Black Student Achievement Plan" (BSAP) following allegations of potential Title VI violations. The renewed probe, initiated after a complaint from the non-profit organization Defending Education, centers on whether the program unlawfully provides services based on race, potentially excluding students of other ethnicities. This development marks the second federal inquiry into the BSAP.
The initial complaint was filed in 2023 by Defending Education, which argued that the BSAP violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by offering race-based services. That investigation was dismissed in 2024 after LAUSD reportedly overhauled the program, eliminating race as a factor in determining student eligibility and making resources available to all students. The district had stated that the program would continue to support students with similar academic needs, regardless of race.
However, Defending Education filed a second complaint in March 2026, citing a recording from a late 2024 LAUSD board meeting. In this recording, former board member Jackie Goldberg and Superintendent Alberto Carvalho reportedly addressed students chanting "put the Black back in BSAP," with Goldberg asking Carvalho, "Do they not know that nothing has changed?" and Carvalho responding, "This is the way to proceed. Otherwise you actually compromise more." Defending Education Vice President Sarah Parshall Perry stated, "LAUSD outwardly feigned as though they had ended their race discrimination in the district, but later information revealed they had not."
LAUSD launched the BSAP in 2021 with the stated goal of addressing historical inequities and improving academic outcomes and well-being for Black students. The program, which has seen its budget increase to $175 million for the 2025-26 academic year, provides additional staff and resources to schools serving a significant Black student population. The district maintains that the BSAP is open to any interested student and aligns with federal and state non-discrimination policies.
The OCR's investigation will examine whether the program "violates Title VI and its implementing regulations by providing services and programs to students based on their race and by excluding students of other races from the program," according to a letter sent to Defending Education. An investigation does not imply a final determination of guilt. Title VI prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs receiving federal financial assistance, with potential violations leading to corrective actions, including the termination of federal funding.
