Forum

/1 🚨BREAKING: After receiving reports of religious and race-based discrimination occurring in Missouri schools, I’ve ordered 3 school districts to immediately CEASE and DESIST discriminatory practices against their students and staff.

THREAD: 

/2 I’ve received reports that Lindbergh School District has instituted a race-based criteria for students seeking to enter the gifted program.

/3 The program’s traditional pathway to entry requires a student to score in the 95th national percentile on at least one screener or standardized test (math or reading) and in at least the 85th percentile on the other. 

/4 The school is allowing students who are part of an underrepresented racial or ethnic population to achieve standardized test scores in the 84th percentile on one test (math or reading) and in the 50th percentile on the other. 

/5 The district’s policy states that its goal is to reach a 20% equity index for underrepresented student populations. 

/6 If these reports are true, Lindbergh School District is discriminating on the basis of race, in direct violation of both state and federal law.

I’ve put the district on notice. 

/7 I’ve also received reports that Parkway School District is preventing students from forming religious-based clubs like Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

/8 Reports indicate this includes prohibiting students from using the campus announcement system, hanging posters, or holding FCA meetings on campus. 

/9 State and federal law prohibit religious discrimination in schools.

I’ve put the district on notice. 

/10 I’ve also received reports that Webster Groves School District has instituted race-based criteria for its employees and applicants.

/11 Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prevents an employer from refusing to hire, or otherwise discriminate, against employees or candidates because of their race. 

/12 Classifying employees and applicants based on race and using this information to make hiring decisions would violate the law.

I’ve put the district on notice. 

/13 This is about protecting the constitutional rights of all Missourians to be free from discrimination. 

/14 As the chief legal officer for the State of Missouri, I am prepared to exercise my office’s full authority under the law to ensure no Missouri school district discriminates against its students or staff. 

/15 As long as I’m Attorney General, discrimination will be dead on arrival in this state. 

/16 Read more about my team’s efforts to combat discrimination here: