1776 Project Foundation Files Lawsuit Against Los Angeles Unified

The 1776 Project Foundation has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), alleging that the district’s racially discriminatory policies systematically disadvantage certain students based on the racial makeup of their schools.

Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, the complaint targets LAUSD’s use of race-based classifications to label schools as “PHBAO” — Predominantly Hispanic, Black, Asian, and Other non-Anglo — and to allocate benefits accordingly. Fewer than 100 schools in the district lack the PHBAO designation, and the suit alleges that students at these schools, including White and Middle Eastern students, are being denied equal access to educational resources and opportunities.

Key Allegations Include:

• Discriminatory Classifications: LAUSD continues to use a race-based formula stemming from a 1981 court order related to desegregation, which categorized schools by student demographics. While that order aimed to remedy past discrimination, the lawsuit argues that LAUSD has transformed the policy into a permanent and unconstitutional system of racial preferences.

• Unequal Educational Opportunities:

  • PHBAO schools receive more funding, staff, and smaller class sizes (25:1 vs. 34.5:1 in non-PHBAO schools).
  • Only PHBAO school parents are guaranteed two annual parent-teacher conferences.
  • Students at PHBAO schools receive bonus points in magnet school admissions — a key advantage denied to others.

“These policies are not just unfair — they’re unconstitutional,” said Michael DiNardo, lead attorney for the 1776 Project Foundation. “What began as a temporary measure to address segregation has become a rigid system of racial favoritism that excludes thousands of students from equal opportunity.”

The lawsuit alleges violations of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and California’s Proposition 209, which prohibits racial preferences in public education.

The Foundation seeks a permanent injunction to halt LAUSD’s race-based programming and ensure that all students receive equal treatment, regardless of racial classification.

About the 1776 Project Foundation
The 1776 Project Foundation is a nonprofit organization committed to promoting equality in public education and opposing race-based discrimination in schools across the United States.