Parents of black and Latino students at Eastern Regional High School in Voorhees, N.J., say the school may have been discriminating by scheduling a series of pep talks just for minority students.
Administrators say there was nothing ominous about the 10-minute meetings held earlier this month. They say the idea was to encourage black and Latino students to sign up for Advanced Placement and honors classes, in which they are underrepresented.
But parents who complained to the school board Jan. 21 said the approach was all wrong. All black and Latino students were required to attend one of the sessions—regardless of their academic performance. White students were exempted.