The Trump administration has ordered Broward schools to cut ties with a national program designed to benefit Latino youth, alleging it discriminates against non-Latino students.
The school district argues its use of the program, Latinos in Action, has not been discriminatory. Still, parents received notice Thursday that it would be discontinued by January.
Latinos in Action, based in Utah, has been in the district for about 10 years and includes an elective class and an after-school club. It’s currently serving students in about 55 schools, according to a renewal agreement the School Board approved in June 2024.
“The Latinos in Action program appears to exclude students based on race, to engage in unlawful racial balancing, and to segregate students based on race,” Craig W. Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights for the U.S. Department of Education, wrote to Broward Superintendent Howard Hepburn in a letter dated Sept. 24.
He wrote that Broward must terminate its partnership with Latinos In Action and end all programming affiliated with the group by the start of the spring 2026 semester. Federal officials warn that if Broward fails to comply, the district could lose millions in federal funding for magnet programs.
On Thursday, the school district informed parents it would “transition away from curriculum” by the time the new semester starts in January.
“Please be assured that this change will not diminish our commitment to all our students,” reads the letter to parents. “The District will continue to provide enrichment opportunities, leadership development, and pathways that prepare every student for success in college, career, and community.”
It’s the federal government’s latest effort to assert that programs designed to aid minority groups discriminate against other groups. The Department of Education also has ordered school districts and universities to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs as well as race-based admissions.
The federal department used language from the organization’s website to allege it discriminates. As of Monday, the language in question appeared to have been removed.
According to the federal Department of Education’s letter:
— Latinos in Action “is designed for and exclusive to Latino students. It is not, for instance, available to black, white, or Asian American students. This is textbook racial discrimination, and no justification proffered by the District can overcome the patent illegality of its unlawful exclusionary program.”
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— A question, now removed, from the frequently asked questions section of the website asked if the class is only for Latino students. The organization’s response was, “80% of the class must be Latino. 20% of students may be from any other racial/ethnic background,” which the federal government said is “prohibited racial balancing.”
— Another deleted entry from the frequently asked questions said the program segregates by race, by creating a “safe harbor” for Latinos In Action participants before “infusing them back into the school setting” so that the “students begin to feel more comfortable participating in arenas which typically experience lower Latino representation,” the letter states.
No one from Latinos in Action could be reached for comment, despite an attempt Monday at the email address published on its website. A phone number that had been listed on the website earlier this year appeared to be out of service on Monday.
Latinos in Action is in nearly 400 schools in 16 states, according to its website. In Florida, the website lists programs in Broward, Hillsborough, Volusia, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole, Lee, Palm Beach and several charter schools.
Broward officials say they’re confused about why the federal government thinks the Broward program discriminates. They say it’s been open to all students, regardless of race, ethnicity or background.
Broward School Board member Sarah Leonardi said she witnessed good things from the program when she used to be a high school teacher.
“This program gave our youth opportunities to lead, mentor, and excel — benefits that reached beyond the classroom. I am confident that our implementation of Latinos in Action has fully complied with state and federal law,” she said. “It is deeply troubling that the U.S. Department of Education is now using the very office created to protect minority students to instead dismantle a program that empowers them.”
Broward County School Board member Adam Cervera said he has reviewed the district’s contract with Latinos in Action and didn’t see anything discriminatory in it. The federal Department of Education is ordering the school district to end the program, alleging it discriminates against non-Latino students.(Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
School Board member Adam Cervera, a lawyer and the only Hispanic member of the board, said he reviewed the district’s contract with Latinos in Action and did not see any discriminatory language in it.
The 80% rule that had been listed on the organization’s website, “does not appear anywhere” in the contract, Cervera said.
“Within our clubs, that’s not a thing for us in the district. I spoke to a lot of parents who told me there are white kids in the clubs and in the elective classes. There are Chinese kids in these classes.”
On Friday, the district sent a copy of the contract to the federal government to get feedback on whether the partnership may actually be in compliance.
“While we are confident that our existing agreement is fully compliant with federal requirements, we want to ensure there is absolutely no option forward with (Latinos in Action) before we completely transition to a new curriculum,” John Sullivan, chief communications officer for the school district, wrote in a letter to School Board members.
Cervera said the issue might get resolved if Latinos in Action were to change its mission statement to ensure that it doesn’t discriminate against non-Latino students. “This organization has done a lot of great things for our students, and I would like to see it continue,” Cervera said.
A spokesperson for the federal Department of Education did not respond to questions about whether programs in other school districts would also need to stop operating.
Karen Brill, chairwoman of the Palm Beach County School Board, said her district has not received a similar letter. “Our Latinos in Action is open to everyone,” she said.
