PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a civil complaint against the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) and the Providence Public School District (PPSD) after an investigation into the state-controlled district's loan forgiveness program for teachers of color.

The complaint, filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court of Rhode Island, accuses RIDE and PPSD of discriminating against white teachers through its Educator of Color Loan Forgiveness Program.

The program, which began in 2021 with a $3.1 million grant from the Rhode Island Foundation, was aimed at closing the diversity gap between teachers and students in the capital city. At the time, around 80% of Providence students were people of color, compared to only 20% of teachers.

Citing research that

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