FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Washington Parents Network files Title VI Complaint against Washington Superintendent Chris Reykdal
FERNDALE, WASHINGTON – Today, April 18, 2025, the Washington Parents Network filed a 64 page Title VI Complaint against Washington Superintendent, Chris Reykdal to end DEI and Critical Race Theory (more accurately known as Racial Shaming) Instruction in Washington state public schools. The complaint was filed with the US Department of Education Office of Civil Rights. Our complaint seeks to enforce an important federal law, called Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which was passed 61 years ago, to end discrimination based on race or skin color in programs that receive federal funding. Our complaint details numerous violations of Title VI that have occurred and continue to occur in Washington state public schools on a daily basis.
For the past 8 years, Chris Reykdal has falsely claimed that Washington DEI curriculum, which is more accurately called Racial Shaming, complied with Title VI. However, in 2023, in the case of Students v Harvard, the US Supreme Court stated that any and all racial preference programs that receive federal funds were in violation of Title VI and must end.
On January 20th and 21st, 2025, based on this 2023 Supreme Court ruling, President Trump issued Presidential Orders ending racial based DEI programs.
On April 3, 2025, the US Department of Education Office of Civil Rights sent letters to all State Commissioners overseeing K-12 State Education Agencies requiring them to certify their compliance with their antidiscrimination obligations as clarified by Students v Harvard in order to continue receiving federal financial assistance.
On April 8, 2025, Washington superintendent, Chris Reykdal, issued a press release refusing to comply with the OCR Certification letter. Reykdal falsely claimed that Students v Harvard only applied to “college admissions policies.“ Reykdal further falsely claimed that Washington educational programs already “met the requirements under Title VI.”
In our complaint, we explain why Students v Harvard applies to ALL programs that receive federal funding - not just college admissions programs. We also provide 30 examples of why Reykdal’s DEI programs willfully and pervasively violate the Title VI rights of students, parents and school board members.
We asked OCR to conduct a Directed Investigation of Washington state illegal DEI programs and to withhold federal funds until Reykdal agrees to permanently end these DEI programs.
This debate is not about how many billions of dollars the federal government can withhold from Washington schools should Reykdal continue to failed to comply with Title VI. This is about Reykdal honoring his Oath of Office – which requires that he comply with federal laws – whether he argrees with those laws or not.
I urge anyone interested in protecting the Title VI Civil Rights of one million children to be free from discrimination based on their race or the color of their skin to read our complaint and determine for yourself whether Chris Reykdal has been violating Title VI for the past 8 years.
To read our Title VI Civil Rights complaint, visit the following web page:
https://washingtonparentsnetwork.com/news/washington-parents-network-title-vi-complaint
To download a PDF of our complaint, to share with other parents, go to:
https://washingtonparentsnetwork.com/phocadownload/Washington%20Parents%20Network%20Title%20VI%20Complaint%2004-18-25.pdf
About the Washington Parents Network
The Washington Parents Network is a volunteer association of more than 2,700 parents in Washington state whose goal is to protect the rights of parents and children.
For more information, contact:
David Spring M. Ed.
Director, Washington Parents Network