The Department of Justice announced it is intervening in a federal lawsuit alleging that the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) unlawfully discriminates against white students by classifying neighborhoods and schools based on racial composition.

The lawsuit, originally filed by the conservative nonprofit 1776 Project Foundation, challenges LAUSD’s Predominantly Hispanic, Black, Asian, and Other (PHBAO) program. Under the program, areas with fewer than 30 percent white residents are labeled “disadvantaged,” granting schools extra funding to reduce class sizes and offering admission preferences for competitive magnet programs.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi emphasized that equal treatment under the law is mandatory for public schools. “This Department of Justice will never stop fighting to make that guarantee a reality, including for public-school students in Los Angeles,” she said in a press release.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon described the PHBAO system as discriminatory, arguing that it treats students differently based on race. “Racial discrimination is unlawful and un-American, and this Civil Rights Division will fight to ensure that every LAUSD student is treated equally under the law,” Dhillon said.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli noted that the policy, now in its sixth decade, has outlived its original purpose. “School districts must treat their students equally and no longer discriminate on the basis of race,” Essayli said.

Michael DiNardo, lead attorney for the 1776 Project Foundation, called the policy unconstitutional and said it unfairly excludes students from equal opportunity. “What began as a temporary measure to address segregation has become a rigid system of racial favoritism,” he said.

An LAUSD spokesperson declined to comment on specifics due to ongoing litigation but stated the district remains committed to providing meaningful access and enriching educational opportunities for all students.

The PHBAO designation currently applies to more than 600 of LAUSD’s campuses, with white students making up roughly 10 percent of total enrollment. The lawsuit challenges the legality of continuing race-based classifications in funding and admissions.