The U.S. Department of Justice accused Providence public schools and the Rhode Island Department of Education of “blatant race discrimination” in a lawsuit filed in federal court on Tuesday over a loan forgiveness program for teachers of color. The Providence Public School District’s “Educators of Color Loan Forgiveness Program” offered “teachers of color” up to $25,000 in student-loan forgiveness. RIDE, which manages the city’s schools under a state takeover, launched the program with PPSD in 2021 using funding from the Rhode Island Foundation. The federal government’s lawsuit, filed in federal court in Providence, claims the program violated the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 by excluding white teachers. Spokespeople for the state Department of Education and Providence Public School District declined to answer questions about the lawsuit.