From Prism 11/6/2025
When the Department of Justice (DOJ) sued the state of Rhode Island in September over a program aimed at increasing teacher diversity, the Trump administration claimed the initiative discriminated against white people.
In its complaint filed in federal court in Providence, the DOJ argued that a loan forgiveness program designed for teachers of color was “race discrimination in public employment, pure and simple.”
“Helping new teachers pay off their student loans may be a worthy endeavor for public school districts,” the complaint reads. “But excluding white teachers is racist and unlawful.”
But teachers with deep roots in Providence and education policy experts who spoke with Prism say the program is a critical step in solving a longstanding lack of diversity within the local teacher corps and serving the city’s diverse student population.
Read more: https://prismreports.org/2025/11/06/rhode-island-loan-forgiveness-teachers-diversity/?fbclid=IwdGRleAOAGyJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEek29ZJ9ZJzg6UCLTjJNEfijmBiiWlmAleASu_v5CpWEyl08Y1DCaLoY0llLs_aem_sHA2cQI-seMigGzMEvLp-Q