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NAACP Hits Betsy DeVos With Lawsuit Over CARES Act Rule Giving More Money to Private Schools

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) filed a lawsuit against U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos over a pending rule change to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act…

Meaghan EllisJul 22, 20202 min read

See Johnson’s remarks below:

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“She’s trying to increase allocation disproportionately for private schools over public schools in the midst of the debate over whether or not schools should reopen,” he said.

Johnson continued, “It’s horrific what she’s doing. What will happen is you further take money away from children who are financially in need to benefit high-wealth children.”

The rule change to the CARES Act has not only been met with opposition from the NAACP, but also lawmakers and educational systems.

Back in May, Jennifer McCormick (R), superintendent of public instruction in Indiana, tweeted her concerns about the CARES Act clause as she criticized DeVos for “playing political games” with the distribution of school funding.

“IN will distribute funds according to Congressional intent and a plain reading of the law,” McCormick tweeted. “I will not play political agenda games with COVID relief funds. Our most at-risk students depend on this commitment.”

Despite the lawsuit, the Department of Education has denied the allegations. DeVos said, “There is nothing in the law Congress passed that would allow districts to discriminate against children and teachers based on private school attendance and employment.”