The Trump Administration sent Oregon Department of Education a Requested Certification of compliance with Title VI and the Supreme Court decision in SFFA v. Harvard.

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 provides that “[n]o 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.

This assurance is given “in consideration of” federal aid, and the federal government extends assistance “in reliance on” the assurance of compliance. See 3 R. Cappalli, Federal Grants § 19:20, at 57, and n. 12 (1982) (written assurances are merely a formality because the statutory mandate applies and is enforceable apart from the text of any agreement).

Dr. Charlene Williams, Director of the Oregon Department of Education responded, without signing the Requested Certification, by letter certifying compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when the grants were issued.

Threats to this federal funding without lawful authority or established requirements put key programs at risk that students and schools across Oregon depend on every day. There is no circumstance where it is okay to leverage children’s resources as a political tool. Oregonians paid for and deserve these federal investments. We are standing up for the rights of all Oregonians and will continue to promote diversity in our schools because we recognize it enhances learning outcomes for all students.

Williams maintains since programs were certified compliant when accepted under the prior administration and because the Request for Certification hasn’t gone through rulemaking processes, it has no authority, and she isn’t signing it.

Governor Tina Kotek issued a statement in response: “Since the start of the new federal administration, I promised Oregonians that I would not back down from a fight when it comes to safeguarding Oregon values. Making sure every child has the opportunity to meet their future promise with a strong public education is one of the most fundamental responsibilities of government and one of my top priorities as Governor.

“The Trump Administration’s threat to shortchange Oregon students hurts children and families and undermines the dedication and work of our educators. That is why I directed ODE to hold the line today. We will not tolerate this unwarranted and unlawful attempt to take away resources promised to Oregon students and paid for by the tax dollars we send to the federal government.”

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Governor Kotek seems to forget that as Superintendent of Public Instruction, she is responsible for Oregon's fourth-grade students ranking third worst nationally in math and are tied for the fourth-worst score in reading. A study from Harvard and Stanford professors found that Oregon was the only state out of 30 studied where elementary and middle school students continued to lose ground in math and reading from 2022 to 2023. Oregon students are now three-quarters of a year behind in math and two-thirds of a year behind in reading.

Also at risk is the Title IX investigation in Portland schools for subjecting females to discrimination and indignity in their activities, denying them of their civil rights. Kotek continues to allow males to compete in female sports and use female facilities.

Senator Noah Robinson (R-Cave Junction) expressed on the Senate floor that “the Committee on Education explained the complexity of the education system requires the help of attorneys to keep schools in compliance with the myriad of laws pertaining to their funding and operation.” Still the legislature's leadership continues to push DEI bills through the legislature.

What Kotek promised Oregonians, just may not be what they want.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2025-04-10 16:34:07

Last Update: 2025-04-10 17:48:04