Chicago Teachers Union President Calls for CPS Lawsuit Against Federal Government Over Magnet School Funding
CHICAGO – Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) President Stacy Davis Gates is urging Chicago Public Schools (CPS) to file a lawsuit against teh federal government, alleging the Department of Education is employing “intimidation tactics” and making “unreasonable” demands related to magnet school funding. The dispute stems from a federal investigation into CPS’s magnet school integration policies and has escalated with the department requesting the district abolish its Black Student success Plan and alter policies concerning transgender students by September 23rd.
The conflict places CPS in a arduous position, caught between federal demands and state law. A 2024 Illinois law mandates the creation of a Black Student Achievement Committee and a plan to support Black students, while the Illinois Human Rights Law requires schools to provide transgender students access to facilities aligning with their gender identity. The federal department’s demands, Davis Gates argues, are a pressure tactic designed to force CPS into violating state law. The outcome of this standoff could significantly impact funding for CPS magnet schools and shape the district’s approach to equity and inclusion initiatives.
According to a letter from the federal department, CPS is facing potential financial penalties – including the withholding of magnet school funds – if it does not comply. CPS Interim General Counsel Elizabeth K. Barton responded, calling the demands ”unreasonable and untenable” and requesting a 30-day extension. Barton also asserted the department is violating its own procedures, citing ongoing investigations into both the Black Student Success Plan and CPS’s Title IX compliance regarding transgender students.
Davis Gates believes a lawsuit is the only way to push back against what she views as federal overreach. “We have to stand up and say, ‘Enough is enough,'” she stated, according to Block Club Chicago. The CTU president contends the federal government is attempting to dictate local policy and undermine the district’s efforts to address racial inequities.
