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A Manhattan public school is treating parents and teachers as “separate” but equal. The P.S. 003 Charrette School in the West Village is hosting a workshop for parents and staffers that separate them into “affinity” groups by race and ethnicity — a move slammed as discriminatory by legal experts. “What Does it Mean to be White in a Multi-Racial Community at PS3? — How does whiteness affect the collective child experience at PS3, as well as the entire community? White-identifying PS3 community members – SIGN UP HERE,” reads the invite posted on the school’s website.

The June 16 “Listening Circles” event is being organized in partnership with a consulting firm called Liberation Spaces that promotes “equity and liberation.” “Folks will gather on zoom with Liberation Spaces for initial guidelines, and then break out into smaller affinity groups with the facilitators based on racial identity,” reads the invitation for parents and educators.

“Bring your valuable perspective and ideas for the future of our school,” it states. “BIPOC Folks – Educators, staff, parents and caregivers who identify as Black, Indigenous, Latinx/Hispanic, Asian, and other people of color – SIGN UP HERE,” it adds — while white parents and teachers are told to participate in a separate group. The bottom of the invitation cites sources of support for the program, including an article titled “Why People of Color Need Spaces Without White People” and another headlined “Becoming an Anti-racist White Ally: How a White Affinity Group Can Help.” Some families and educators were shocked at being advised to separate into groups by race. “The PS 3 PTA Charrette Listening Circles facilitated by Liberation Spaces is planning on segregating parents into ‘BIPOC Folks’ and ‘White-identifying’ affinity groups,” noted Moshe Spern, president of United Jewish Teachers who said he was contacted by PS 3 parents who objected to the event.

“That doesn’t build community. Instead, it divides and isolates families,” Spern said. One civil rights lawyer said separating parents or educators by race was clearly illegal, citing the 1954 landmark US Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education that struck down racial segregation or “separate but equal” education as unconstitutional. “Segregating public school parents by race or ethnicity is not only offensive, it’s also unlawful,” said William Jacobson, a Cornell University law professor and founder of the Equal Protection Project, a nonprofit conservative advocacy organization. “The federal civil rights statutes cover all aspects of school programming, not just what happens in the classroom,” he said. “Segregating faculty and staff by race or ethnicity also may be an unlawful employment practice,” Jacobson added. “Outsourcing these programs to an outside consultant does not insulate the school from liability and responsibility.”

A majority of PS3’s roughly 600 students are white. Spern noted Jewish parents and teachers are not even mentioned on the program description, despite a surge in antisemitism. “This isn’t the time to hide from issues, especially those facing the Jewish community. We should have real conversations around race and bias but needs to be done in a way that makes everyone feel safe and inclusive.” PS 3 refers to itself as a “charrette” school that touts group brainstorming. The school principal, Hillary Casado, declined to comment.

A spokesperson for Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels and the Department of Education said the PS 3 parents association was running the “Listening Circles” program, not the school administration. “New York City Public Schools remains focused on fostering welcoming, inclusive environments where all students and families feel respected and supported. This event was organized by the school’s PTA,” said DOE spokesperson Chyann Tull. “PTAs may separately choose to host a variety of programs and discussions for their parent communities.”

But Jacobson, of the Equal Protection Project, said the school and the city are still “potentially liable” for a PTA-led school program that violates the law, if they “promote or facilitate” it in any way “including on the school website.”The race-based “Listening Circles” is prominently displayed on the PS 3 website and said it is sponsored by the “The PS3 Charrette Planning Committee.”

Source: Exclusive | NYC public school splits parents, staff into `separate’ racial groups

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