Los Angeles school policy discriminates against white students, lawsuit claims

LAUSD facing lawsuit

The 1776 Project Foundation filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against Los Angeles Unified, alleging its desegregation policy discriminates against white students by favoring non-white schools.

LOS ANGELES - A conservative organization has launched a federal legal challenge against the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), targeting a decades-old policy designed to mitigate the effects of racial segregation. 

The lawsuit, filed by the 1776 Project Foundation, alleges that the district’s classification of schools based on student ethnicity violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

What we know:

The lawsuit focuses on the district’s PHBAO classification—an acronym for schools that are Predominantly Hispanic, Black, Asian, or Other non-Anglo. This system originated from 1970 and 1976 court orders requiring LAUSD to desegregate.

According to the legal filing, the PHBAO designation currently applies to more than 600 schools, while fewer than 100 are classified as "non-PHBAO." Schools labeled as PHBAO receive specific benefits and operational requirements:

• Class Size: PHBAO schools must maintain student-teacher ratios of 25 to 1 or less. Non-PHBAO schools can have ratios as high as 34 to 1.
• Magnet Points: Students attending PHBAO schools are granted 4 extra priority points when applying to the district's competitive magnet programs.
• Engagement: These schools are mandated to hold at least two parent-teacher conferences per year to monitor academic progress.

The 1776 Project Foundation argues these benefits create a system of "racial favoritism" that disadvantages white and Middle Eastern students. 

One plaintiff in the case is a parent whose children attend a non-PHBAO school and were reportedly denied admission to a magnet program due to the lack of priority points.

The backstory:

The policies in question are rooted in the landmark case "Crawford v. Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles."

In the mid-1970s, California courts identified five "Harms of Racial Isolation" that the district was legally obligated to alleviate:

• Low academic achievement
• Low self-esteem
• Lack of access to post-secondary opportunities
• Interracial hostility and intolerance
• Overcrowded conditions

While these court orders were intended to foster integration, the 1776 Project Foundation contends they have become "obsolete" and now function as a form of unconstitutional discrimination. 

This sentiment reflects a broader push by the current Trump administration to sunset Civil Rights-era desegregation mandates.

What they're saying:

The 1776 Project Foundation asserts that the district is using race-based classifications to "unlawfully tie staffing and student opportunities" to a student's skin color.

Meanwhile, a LAUSD spokesperson stated the district remains "firmly committed to ensuring all students have meaningful access to services," but declined to comment on the specifics of the pending litigation.

Civil rights advocates contend that lifting these orders would ignore the "legacy of forced segregation" and exacerbate existing disparities in discipline, teacher hiring, and academic funding that still affect minority communities today.

What's next:

The lawsuit seeks a permanent injunction to bar LAUSD from using racial preferences in its funding, advertising, or admissions processes. 

As the case moves through federal court, it may serve as a bellwether for the future of student integration programs across the United States, particularly as federal officials move to roll back long-standing equity initiatives.