Pacific Legal Foundation files lawsuit challenging race discrimination by the Minority Teachers of Illinois Scholarship Program

Springfield, IL; October 22, 2024: Today, Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF) filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of the American Alliance for Equal Rights (AAER) challenging the race-based criteria used by the Illinois Student Assistance Corporation when awarding state-funded scholarships to future Illinois teachers.  

The Minority Teachers of Illinois Scholarship Program (MTI) awards scholarships of up to $7,500 per year for tuition, fees, commuter allowances, and room and board for up to four academic years of full-time college enrollment. With Illinois facing a severe teacher shortage, the MTI Scholarship Program is designed to encourage qualified Illinoisans to join the teacher ranks. 

Eligibility requirements are extensive. Students must meet residency, academic, and financial standards. In addition, eligibility for this scholarship is restricted to students who are from the state’s preferred racial groups.   

“Illinois can offer assistance to young, aspiring teachers, but not when they exclude a significant number of applicants based on their skin color,” said PLF attorney Erin Wilcox. “The exclusion of non-minority applicants not only misses the mark on providing an equal opportunity for all future teachers, it violates the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause.”  

Represented at no charge by Pacific Legal Foundation, AAER is fighting back with a federal equal protection challenge to restore equal treatment and educational opportunity for all students, regardless of race.  

The case is AAER v. Pritzker and filed in the Central District of Illinois.