NYC schools face complaint for cutting sports access to Black and Latino students
A civil rights complaint has been filed against the New York City Public Schools Athletic League, alleging that recent policy changes have significantly reduced access to sports for Black and Latino students.
The complaint, spearheaded by David Garcia-Rosen, the director of school culture and athletics at Bronx Academy of Letters, asserts that a decision made in fall 2023 to eliminate “guaranteed individual access” to sports teams has disproportionately affected minority students.
In Spring 2023, the NYC Public Schools initiated a policy ensuring that all students, regardless of the school they attended, could try out for any of the 51 sports teams offered by the PSAL. This policy change was celebrated as a significant step towards equity, allowing 100 percent of Black and Hispanic students access to sports.