Conservative activist files racial bias complaint against Ashland School District

Ashland High School on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022, at lunch time. Drew Fleming photo
January 4, 2023

National nonprofit objects to some affinity groups in Ashland schools

By Stephen Floyd, Ashland.news

A conservative watchdog has leveled claims of racial discrimination against the Ashland School District (ASD), alleging student clubs focused on minority cultures illegally exclude students of other races and backgrounds.

Parents Defending Education (PDE), based in Washington, D.C., said they filed a complaint Jan. 3 with the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) Office of Civil Rights over ASD’s student affinity groups, which promote activities and social engagement for students who share common backgrounds including race, gender, gender identity and sexual orientation.

ASD Superintendent Samuel Bogdanove said ASD has not received notification from ODE about the complaint and said the district will respond to the allegations through the complaint resolution process.

“We do not comment on open complaints outside of the complaint process,” he said Thursday, Jan. 5. “We have nothing further to add at this time.”

Affinity groups named in the complaint include the Black Student Union, Latinx Student Union, Native Student Union and Asian Student Union. Ashland High School’s website also identified the Queer Straight Alliance, Women’s Affinity Group and Spanish Honor Society among other affinity groups, while similar programs are found at Ashland Middle School and local elementary schools.

PDE, founded in 2021 by President Nicole Neily, a former media specialist and executive for conservative and libertarian think tanks in D.C., took issue with language describing the purpose and activities of these affinity groups, which emphasized outreach to students with specific cultural identities such as Black, Asian, Native American, or Latinx. PDE’s complaint said these descriptions exclude students of other racial identities in violation of the U.S. Constitution and the Civil Rights Act.

“As the Department of Education is no doubt aware, segregation on the basis of race raises concerns that the Ashland School District has received federal funds in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which declares that ‘no person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance,’” it says in the complaint.

PDE has asked DOE to investigate its claims of racism and “act swiftly to remedy unlawful policies and practices, and order appropriate relief.” Similar complaints were also filed with DOE Jan. 3 against Portland Public Schools in Maine and Shelburne Community School in Vermont.

Previous claims of discrimination within affinity groups resulted in a federal lawsuit against Wellesley Public Schools of Wellesley, Massachusetts, filed by PDE on Oct. 19, 2021. The suit was dismissed Feb. 7, 2022, after the defendant changed its policies to allow participation in affinity groups by all members of the student body, and without membership based on race or ethnicity.

A separate lawsuit against the Linn-Mar Community School District, in Linn County, Iowa, remains pending in federal court. PDE sued Aug. 8, 2022, seeking to overturn protections for transgender and nonbinary students in school policy, including an injunction staying implementation of such policies until the suit is resolved.

The request for an injunction was denied Sept. 12, 2022, on the grounds that PDE had not presented compelling evidence that their claims were likely to prevail. This decision has since been appealed and a future hearing date has yet to be published.

According to PDE’s website, defendinged.org, legal action is initiated after parents and community members reach out through a tip line that encourages them to report “ideologically driven curriculum with a concerning and often divisive emphasis on students’ group identities: race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and gender.” The group then investigates alleged incidents and determines if legal action on behalf of the tipsters is warranted.

Out of six incidents published by PDE for Oregon, none were against ASD, though Neily told The Leadership Institute her group vets and fact-checks allegations before publishing reported incidents, and they keep tipster information confidential to prevent possible retaliation.

Email Ashland.news reporter Stephen Floyd at [email protected].

Jan. 5 update: Response added from school district superintendent, along with addition information about other complaints filed by Parents Defending Education and minor edits for clarification.

Picture of Bert Etling

Bert Etling

Bert Etling is the executive editor of Ashland.news. Email him at [email protected].

Related Posts...

Indigenous youth call for worldwide dam removal with Klamath River Accord

Indigenous youth from around the globe signed a pact Sunday at the mouth of the Klamath River calling for the removal of dams around the world. It also came on the heels of the first source-to-sea descent of the Klamath River, which saw youth from various tribes kayak the river for the first time since four hydroelectric dams were removed in 2024.

Read More »

Our Sponsors

Rogue Theater Company Ripcord Grizzly Peak Winery Ashland Oregon
ScienceWorks Hands-on Museum Teen Programs Day Camp Ashland Oregon

Latest posts

Indigenous youth call for worldwide dam removal with Klamath River Accord

Indigenous youth from around the globe signed a pact Sunday at the mouth of the Klamath River calling for the removal of dams around the world. It also came on the heels of the first source-to-sea descent of the Klamath River, which saw youth from various tribes kayak the river for the first time since four hydroelectric dams were removed in 2024.

Read More >

Our Sponsors

Conscious Design Build Ashland Oregon
City of Ashland Public Notice Ashland Oregon
Ashland Climate Collaborative Sreets for Everyone Ashland Oregon
Pronto Printing Ashland Medford Southern Oregon

Explore More...

REQUA, California – After 30 days and 310 miles of paddling, the journey is over.
Indigenous youth from around the globe signed a pact Sunday at the mouth of the Klamath River calling for the removal of dams around the world. It also came on the heels of the first source-to-sea descent of the Klamath River, which saw youth from various tribes kayak the river for the first time since four hydroelectric dams were removed in 2024.
A broader variety of items are now accepted both at the Ashland Recycling Center and in recycling bins for those using Recology’s curbside service. New items include molded fiber (including egg cartons and paper berry baskets), aseptic or Tetra Pak containers (such as those used for milk, broth and juice), and select nursery plant containers.
Thirty participating farms and locations in both Jackson and Josephine counties will open their doors to visitors on Sunday, July 20, for the seventh annual Rogue Valley Farm Tour, offering people the chance to experience and taste the produce and products of Southern Oregon.
This midweek bonus pilot word puzzle is a mini-acrostic with a quirky quote about Oregon culture. Solve it directly in the article or download a PDF to print. Next Friday's crossword: "Watershed Wandering #03." More crosswords under the Culture menu.
ashland.news logo

Subscribe to the newsletter and get local news sent directly to your inbox.

(It’s free)

Don't Miss Our Top Stories

Get our newsletter delivered to your inbox three times a week.
It’s FREE and you can cancel anytime.