An Illinois college district crammed with college who celebrated and hoped for the demise of Charlie Kirk was uncovered for his or her 2026 fairness framework plan the district “aspires to” that features hiring and retaining employees with “various backgrounds” and mandated DEI coaching classes for college and college students.
Defending Schooling uncovered Oswego District 308’s fairness roadmap via a number of Freedom of Data Act (FOIA) requests, which dropped at mild an annual report abstract on DEI in addition to the district’s DEI plan for 2026.
One FOIA request detailing an fairness report confirmed {that a} center college within the district divided college students by racial background, with out notifying dad and mom, as a part of fairness coaching classes for workers in 2025.
The fairness director wrote after the session, which was held throughout “Scholar Assist Time,” that she recognized the “challenges with being discriminated towards primarily based on shade” and that her subsequent session could be with “those that determine as White.”
Erika Sanzi, senior director of communications at Defending Schooling, advised Fox Information Digital that the district’s transfer to divide college students into races could possibly be thought-about “segregation.”
“Calling it a racial affinity group is only a nicer approach of claiming racial segregation—these fairness assemblies that divide up college students by their pores and skin shade are with out justification, to not point out unlawful,” Sanzi defined. “Whatever the intention, the ideology behind race-based applications and actions in colleges is damaging and must be rooted out.”
The fairness report additionally confirmed that prime college departments held “particular content material/fairness” trainings, the place college students may interact in alternatives like a lunch and find out about “LGBTQ+, Migroaggressions, Ramadan.”
Following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a report from the Kendall County Instances revealed that Jadon A. Waller, the district’s superintendent of fairness and engagement of grades Okay-8, posted to Fb referring to Kirk as a “modern-day Klans man.”
“I’m seeing a variety of Black people on right here interjecting themselves into the demise of a modern-day Klans man… and I’ve to say I’m confused and dissatisfied. Who’re you attempting to make comfy? Trigger it’s making me uncomfortable.”
Waller posted below the title Ashley Jadon on Fb, based on the report.
Per the varsity district’s web site, Waller remains to be employed at Oswego District 308.
Waller didn’t reply to Fox Information Digital’s request for remark.
As for the 2026 outlook, the report confirmed plans for DEI coaching in elementary and center colleges and a DEI Design Group to “analyze and deal with inequities inside pupil tutorial achievement” and pupil self-discipline.
In an “indicators of success” rubric the place outcomes shall be mirrored within the following yr’s report, the district requires elementary and junior highschool’s instructor leaders and directors to “facilitate at the very least two of their very own DEI trainings by the top of the yr.”
The Illinois college district additionally plans to “companion with surrounding districts and Waubonsee Neighborhood Faculty to host our 1st DEI Convention known as ASCEND!”
One fairness assertion says the district “will acknowledge the existence of racism in our colleges and group,” and “we’ll deal with injustices that result in racial inequities and work to coach and alter behaviors” to advertise inclusivity.
Along with pushing DEI within the classroom, the recruitment and retention portion of the plan pushes the district to “prioritize” various hires.
“We are going to prioritize the recruitment, retention, and development of directors and employees with various backgrounds to make sure our crew of educators displays our pupil physique,” the framework reads.
A job posting for a highschool principal within the college district obtained by Defending Schooling says “the correct candidate” must be “prioritizing fairness and rightful presence… throughout the district.”
Oswego District 308’s dedication to DEI doesn’t cease there. The district proposed a $75,000 grant to the Board of Schooling to determine a partnership with a company for a residency program that “recruits and retains new lecturers who replicate the racial, cultural, and linguistic range of the communities we serve.”
From October 2023 to March 2024, throughout a earlier partnership between the district and a separate group, the varsity district spent taxpayer {dollars} on DEI provides, together with delight parade stickers and a delight parade payment to take part.
The earlier partnership held coaching classes for district personnel and college students the place members have been requested to learn “How Privileged Am I” and rank themselves on how privileged they’re.
“Generate a privilege record associated to P-12 settings for the coed and grownup educator group assigned to your crew by itemizing methods college students and adults might expertise methods of benefits or rights which can be accessible to them solely primarily based on their social identities,” the coaching directions learn.
Whereas these coaching classes have been held within the Illinois college district, the group carries out related workouts via partnerships with state and native academic businesses throughout the nation.
Oswego District 308 didn’t reply to Fox Information Digital’s request for remark.
