The program discriminates against white and Asian teachers in conflict with federal civil rights rules, a new complaint alleges.
Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education created a fully-funded resource group only available to teachers who “identify as a person of color,” in conflict with the federal civil rights rules the school is beholden to as a recipient of federal funding, a new complaint alleges.
Defending Education filed a civil rights complaint to the Department of Education, shared exclusively with National Review, highlighting the discriminatory practices of the National Board Resource Center BIPOC Cohort.
The group was created to establish a “fully-funded cohort of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) teachers teachers [sic] committed to earning National Board Certification and serving as teacher leaders in their communities,” according to information about the cohort on the Stanford website.
Becoming a National Board Certified teacher comes with great career benefits, including higher salaries and expedited career advancement. The certification is “the most respected professional certification available in K-12 education,” according to the National Board’s website.
Resources for the cohort include mentorship, access to Stanford’s National Board Resource Center support group, materials to help teachers prepare for the certification process, and coaching through the National Board Certification application process.
Participation in Stanford’s program is also subsidized. “Through the CTA/NBRC BIPOC cohort, all fees for participation in the support program are covered by generous funding from the California Teachers Association and National Board Resource Center at Stanford,” the website reads. “While this opportunity does not cover the direct costs of certification, we will provide support and information about accessing local funding sources, including the new California National Board Incentive Grant.”
There are four points of eligibility to apply to be a part of the cohort, one of which is an applicant’s race. Only people who “identify as a person of color” are eligible for the program.
The cohort violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, according to the complaint. Title VI ensures that any program receiving federal funds cannot discriminate based on race, color, or nation of origin.
“Covered schools must implement their policies, and administer their classes, in a ‘color-blind’ manner. Prohibited discrimination includes ‘separate treatment in any matter.’ This includes restricting ‘in any way … the enjoyment of any advantage or privilege enjoyed by others’ and using ‘criteria or methods of administration which have the effect of subjecting individuals to discrimination,'” the complaint reads.
“Stanford University is committed to meeting its obligations under the federal Civil Rights Act and maintaining an environment free of prohibited discrimination,” the university told National Review in a statement.
Stanford said the cohort is being “sunsetted” and is currently not accepting any new teachers. The school also said the National Board Resource Center at Stanford is open to all primary and secondary teachers, regardless of race — the cohort was just one part of the center’s broader mission.
According to the California Teachers Association, however, there is a cohort for this 2025-26 school year.
In California, in particular, teachers who earn the certification and work in a high-priority school — a school where at least 55 percent of students are English learners, foster youth, or are eligible for subsidized meals — are offered a $25,000 incentive bonus.
“If a primary or secondary school teacher wants to achieve National Board Certification, Stanford has a program to help them do exactly that—unless the teacher is White or Asian,” Sarah Parshall Perry, vice president and senior legal fellow of Defending Education, told National Review in a statement.
“That kind of race gamesmanship, that weighing opportunities and human values based on skin color, is exactly what our civil rights laws were passed to prevent,” she said. “As leaders of a prestigious school, Stanford administrators should know better, but apparently, they need a refresher. This kind of discriminatory partnership with the California teachers union is noxious to its core.”