Minneapolis Public Schools is facing a federal civil rights complaint after its American Indian Education Department announced a back-to-school backpack and supplies giveaway strictly limited to American Indian students, in clear violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
The event, scheduled for August 24 and 25 and promoted on the department’s Facebook page under the heading “2026-27 School Year Distribution of Backpacks & School Supplies,” is explicitly restricted to “MPS American Indian Students ONLY.”
Participants must be enrolled in Minneapolis Public Schools and have a completed Federal 506 form or tribal affiliation identification form on file to receive the assistance.
Complaint filed against Minneapolis schools over giveaway reserved for ‘American Indian Students ONLY’
Mark Perry, a professor who filed the complaint, said it is “illegal and objectionable” for the district to “offer a segregated program exclusively for MPS American Indian… pic.twitter.com/L99sKoXZ1O
— Alpha News (@AlphaNews) August 17, 2026
University of Michigan Professor Emeritus Mark Perry, who has filed nearly a thousand civil rights complaints against educational institutions for similar race-based discrimination, has submitted the complaint to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.
In the filing, Perry states that the event “illegally excludes certain students based on their race and ethnicity, including students who are Asian, Black, White, and Hispanic.”
Perry is seeking remedies that would require the district either to cancel the segregated giveaway or open it to all Minneapolis Public Schools students regardless of race, ethnicity, color, or national origin.
In a separate letter to the MPS school board and leadership, Perry emphasized that “there are no ‘if you have good intentions’ exceptions to Title VI, and segregated programs based on race and ethnicity are illegal even if they allegedly advantage the ‘right’ race for the ‘right’ reasons.”
“Just as it would be illegal for MPS to host an event that excludes MPS American Indian students, it is equally illegal and objectionable for you to offer a segregated program exclusively for MPS American Indian students that excludes all other MPS students of all races and ethnicities,” he continued, adding that “Title VI isn’t optional, and compliance isn’t voluntary—it’s legally mandated for recipients of federal funds like MPS.”
Perry offered to withdraw the complaint if the district corrects course.
When asked for comment by Alpha News, who originally broke the story, Minneapolis Public Schools pointed to an FAQ page on federal recognition of tribes and claimed, “there are different considerations for American Indian students,” while asserting that the district facilitates several supply giveaways open to all students in collaboration with partners.
However, reporting by Alpha News found no publicly advertised districtwide school-supply giveaways open to every student for the 2026-27 school year.
The American Indian Education Department, directed by Jennifer Simon, continues to promote the exclusive event on social media.
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