Nonprofit alleges segregation in Ithaca school group meeting; Superintendent Brown responds

At the Ithaca City School District Board of Education's most recent meeting last week, superintendent Luvelle Brown denied claims from a conservative advocacy group alleging that the school would segregate students at an annual event.

Brown's denial came on Tuesday, May 28, the same day as allegations by William A. Jacobson, founder of the non-profit watchdog group, Equal Protection Project, that ICSD violated the Supreme Court's over 70-year-old rejection of racial segregation in public schools, with its annual Students of Color United (SOCU) summits.

In recent years, events and summits aimed mainly at students belonging to marginalized groups have been designed by school districts, creating a platform for students to connect, learn, and discuss issues that directly impact them.

“This is something that our young people have led and have developed, because they want a safe space and they want other people to see what that space looks like too,” Brown said Tuesday in a video recording posted by the district. “I would hope that it would be every day we’d have this kind of event, but it does not happen every day because of the supremacy and the lack of people seeing (our) humanity, and some folks leading with ‘your schools are failing.’"

What is the SOCU Summit?

According to the Ithaca High School calendar, the SOCU Summit 2024, was held Friday at the high school.

Students of all backgrounds took part in team-building activities, including gym games and sports, spoke on the issues they face together, and showcased their talents in performance or inspirational speech.

The SOCU Summit, traditionally an event for students of color in grades 6-12 within the school district, has faced criticism for its alleged exclusivity in the past. The Equal Protection Project delivered a letter to ICSD Superintendent Dr. Luvelle Brown and Board of Education President Dr. Sean Eversley Bradwell, claiming the summits from 2021 to 2023 were racially exclusionary.

“A poster promoting SOCU 2024 indicates that SOCU 2024 is only for ‘Students of Color in grades 6-12 in Ithaca City School District,’” Jacobson said. "At EqualProtect.org, we reject the claim that there is a 'good' form of racism, or that the remedy for racism is more racism. These principles are embodied in the law and ICSD policies. Why were such policies not followed? ICSD should be transparent and open about how this situation came about."

Jacobson called on ICSD leadership to denounce and renounce any school events or programming segregated by race.

Reaction from Cornell professor and Equal Protection Project

Jacobson is a Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the Securities Law Clinic at Cornell Law School. Before joining the Cornell law faculty in 2007, he had a law firm in Providence, Rhode Island, concentrating in investment, employment, and business disputes in the securities industry.

Jacobson launched the Equal Protection Project in 2023, according to the Cornell Review, and it's been devoted to about a dozen cases involving alleged segregation or equal rights infringements with school districts since.

After the board met Tuesday, Jacobson said Brown's statement about inclusion in the event was not implied by the school board.

"In our letter to ICSD, the Equal Protection Project documented the racially exclusionary history of the Students of Color United Summits, and the promotion of this year's Summit as limited to students and staff 'of color.' Dr. Brown did not address the substance of our letter in his public comments,” Jacobson said. “Nonetheless, I am glad that Dr. Brown has stated that the SOCU Summit will be open to all. That message of openness needs to be promoted vigorously and immediately to the ICSD community, because a contrary message of exclusion has been communicated previously, as detailed in our Letter to ICSD."

Jacobson also founded the website legalinsurrection.com, - a conservative-leaning blog where he published an article on the Equal Protection Project's concerns regarding Brown's comments, among other content supporting former president Donald Trump in his bid for reelection this year and denouncing "Anti-Israel" campus protestors.

Jacobson is no stranger to speaking on American politics in the media: he's been featured on FOX news several times in recent years.

Brown's response to Cornell professor

At last week's meeting, Brown discussed student summits and their inclusivity, countering Jacobson’s claims by inviting everyone who wished to attend to the event, according to the video.

Brown compared the SOCU Summits to events he went to in his past, highlighting them for their inclusivity and openness, which allows for students who may otherwise feel threatened or ignored a chance to open up and be themselves.

“Just like in our school district, I have been a part of affinity groups all my life, every Sunday and Wednesday I went to a place where an affinity group met.” Brown said in a video from the meeting, which was highlighted by the district when asked for comment. “It was an affinity group that, because of the food that was eaten there, the language that was spoken, the cadence, the clothes we wore, everything about that group and that space was consistent with my cultural background, behavior, and identity. It felt safe, and it was good.”