Los Angeles schools accused of quietly funding race-based programming for Black students only

The group says LAUSD has allocated $50 million for the program in the 2025-2026 school year, on top of $125 million previously spent on BSAP.

An example of the BSAP resource allocation in question is staffing support specifically dedicated to addressing the academic and social-emotional needs of Black students.

On July 11, 2023, Defending Education filed a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights over the policy, saying it violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution.

However, Defending Education alleges that only months after the complaint was dismissed, LAUSD Board of Education members said the program had not changed.

During those chants, according to Defending Education, board President Jackie Goldberg and LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho were caught on a hot mic agreeing that "nothing has changed."

"Do they not know that nothing has changed?" Goldberg asked Carvalho in reference to the protesters.

"Nothing has changed," Carvalho agreed.

"How do they not know that?" Goldberg replied.

Armed with this exchange, Defending Education has filed a new complaint.

"It's concerning when a board of education member and the superintendent both promise in a public meeting that nothing has changed in the context of a race-based program that the district knows is in violation of federal law. It's an admission that they have knowingly lied to the federal government about what is actually going on in the district as it relates to race-based programming," said Erika Sanzi, senior communications director for Defending Education.

LAUSD did not return a request for comment.