St. Paul high school field trip canceled after anti-white racism complaint filed

A St. Paul high school field trip set for Thursday was canceled this week after a federal civil rights complaint alleged it discriminated against white students by being tailored specifically to students of color.

The event, offering exposure to digital marketing and advertising careers, violated Title VI of the federal Civil Rights Act and the district’s own anti-discrimination policy, said Mark Perry, a retired professor who long has taken aim at such alleged missteps.

“Just as it would be illegal and objectionable for [Highland Park Senior High School] to offer a field trip that explicitly excluded students of color ... it’s equally illegal and objectionable to host a racially segregated field trip exclusively for ‘students of color,’ ” Perry wrote in a letter Tuesday to Principal Winston Tucker and the agency set to host the event.

Tucker informed Perry later that day that the BrandLab, the nonprofit organization sponsoring the field trip, was canceling the event.

Perry, who is a senior fellow with the groups Do No Harm and Equal Protection Project and who lives in Mendota Heights, previously called out the district for its plans this summer for a St. Paul Public Schools “Girls in Science” learning program — since changed to a “Kids in Science” program open to all students following the filing of a similar federal civil rights complaint.

In his letter to Tucker, Perry described himself as a “full-time civil rights activist who has successfully filed nearly 1,000 federal civil rights complaints against many hundreds of U.S. colleges, universities and K-12 public schools.” His main focus is higher education.

He filed his complaint this week with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights in Chicago and now plans to withdraw it once a case number for the complaint is assigned, he wrote in an email Thursday to the Minnesota Star Tribune.

With the event being canceled, “the basis for a Title VI complaint no longer exists,” he added.

Erica Wacker, a spokesperson for St. Paul Public Schools, said Thursday that the district takes care in following its anti-discrimination policy. For example, she said, National African American Parent Involvement Day is “designed for a specific group of people, but it’s open to anyone.” If mistakes are made, they typically occur when an outside partner is involved, she said.

In a statement, the BrandLab said it is “committed to inclusivity in marketing and advertising, truly representing the world we live in,” and that it is working with the high school to set up a new date by year’s end.

Wacker added: “St. Paul Public Schools values our partnerships with community organizations like the BrandLab and the opportunities they provide for our students. The district remains committed to providing post-secondary and career-related opportunities for all of our students to pursue their passions.”