After a civil rights investigation into the Green Bay Area Public School district's "Priority Performance Group" policy, the mother of the student who is facing alleged racial discrimination shares the solutions she is looking for.
Colbey Decker said her 4th grade son, who was diagnosed with dyslexia, had been receiving one-on-one educational assistance before enrolling at King Elementary in January 2024.
After the transfer, that support suddenly stopped.
"Everyday that goes by, those are days I can never get back in helping him and that's the hardest part," Decker said.
After multiple attempts to get answers about why her son's educational support was discontinued, Decker discovered the reason in the school's 2024-25 King School Success Plan.
The plan outlines academic goals that include a "Priority Performance Group" focusing specifically on students who identify as First Nations, Black and/or Hispanic.
According to Decker, her son was placed on a wait list for one-on-one learning because he doesn't fall within these racial categories.
"We love King Elementary, we love the diversity, we love all the things it has to offer. I don't want my son to think that he's been treated less because of the color of his skin. That's a horrific thought," Decker said.
Seeking further action, Decker contacted the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL), a Milwaukee-based law firm.
In December 2024, the firm sent a letter to the district calling the school's policy "unlawful."
"While the district addressing disparities in reading proficiency is well-intentioned, categorizing students and prioritizing resources based on race is unacceptable," the letter stated.
WILL subsequently filed a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights under the Department of Education in late January, which launched an investigation on Wednesday.
Lauren Greuel, associate counsel at WILL, emphasized that the issue is about the basis for decision-making.
"If the school district was saying we're going to give white kids dyslexia reading supports first, over Black kids, over native American kids, over Hispanic kids, that would be a huge Title VI violation that we would have brought too," Greuel said. "It doesn't matter who's getting the priority support, what matters is that the school is making decisions on the basis of race," Greuel said.
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