Minnesota School Nixes Career Day After 'Anti-White' Claim

A career event at Highland Park Senior High School in St. Paul, Minnesota, was canceled following an anti-discrimination complaint filed by a retired teacher. The event, intended for students who "identify as a student of color," aimed to introduce them to careers in digital marketing and advertising, according to The Minnesota Star Tribune.

Mark Perry, the retired professor, argued that the event violated Title VI of the federal Civil Rights Act and the school district's own anti-discrimination policy. Perry pointed out the apparent exclusion of White students, echoing similar incidents at other schools nationwide.

"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 stated in a letter to Principal Winston Tucker and the BrandLab agency, which organized the event.

Perry, who described himself as a "full-time civil rights activist," noted he has filed nearly 1,000 federal civil rights complaints against numerous educational institutions.

Principal Tucker informed Perry the same day that BrandLab was canceling the event.

Perry had previously challenged the district over a "Girls in Science" program, which has since been changed to "Kids in Science."

Perry plans to withdraw his complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, stating that with the event canceled, "the basis for a Title VI complaint no longer exists."

St. Paul Public Schools spokesperson Erica Wacker defended the district, emphasizing its commitment to anti-discrimination policies. She cited National African American Parent Involvement Day as an example of an event "designed for a specific group of people, but it’s open to anyone." Wacker added that mistakes often stem from external partnerships.

Wacker told Fox News Digital, "From the school district's perspective, Saint 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."

BrandLab stated to The Star Tribune that they are "committed to inclusivity in marketing and advertising, truly representing the world we live in," and are working with the high school to organize a new event.

BrandLab's website states its mission to "empower young talent from Indigenous, Black, Brown, AAPI and Hispanic/Latinx backgrounds." I guess their heart was in the right place, but maybe they needed a little nudge to remember everyone.