The U.S. Department of Justice is suing Rhode Island education officials, alleging a student loan forgiveness program aimed at recruiting educators of color unlawfully discriminates against white teachers.

Filed Tuesday, the complaint accuses the Rhode Island Department of Education and the state-run Providence Public School District of “blatant race discrimination.” The lawsuit specifically takes aim at the “Educators of Color Loan Forgiveness Program,” which offers up to $25,000 in student debt repayments for new teachers in Providence.

“The catch: white teachers are not eligible,” the complaint notes.

With a student body that is more than 90% non-white , Providence has long sought to recruit more teachers of color. To that end, the 2021 student loan forgiveness program was de

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