FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CR MONDAY, APRIL 1, 1996 (202) 616-2765 TDD (202) 514-1888 MICHIGAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE TO INVITE HIGH SCHOOLS WITH SIGNIFICANT BLACK STUDENT POPULATIONS WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A Michigan high school athletic league that failed to admit certain school districts with significant black student enrollments will invite six of the schools into their league, under an agreement reached today with the Justice Department. The agreement will ensure that the once excluded schools will be able to compete with the other conference schools in all sports and extracurricular activities. The agreement requires 18 public school districts located outside of Detroit, which founded the Michigan Mega Conference Athletic League, to invite previously excluded schools into the league. "This is a victory for the students. Now everyone will be able to compete on the same playing field," said Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Deval L. Patrick. "We hope all the Mega schools will begin next year not only as competitors but also as partners." Mega, an interscholastic high school athletic and extra- curricular league, did not offer invitations to certain schools when it was formed in 1992 even though the schools were located in the same geographic area. When Mega was formed, the proportion of black students in the Mega schools was less than 5% overall, while the proportion in each of the formerly excluded schools ranged from 32 percent to 99 percent. In 1993, two school districts filed a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Education. Each alleged that the founding schools discriminated in the formation and operation of the league. After determining that the Mega school districts violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its implementing regulations, OCR tried to negotiate a resolution with the founding school districts. When the efforts failed, OCR referred the matter to the Justice Department last summer. After further investigation, the Justice Department entered into negotiations with the founding Mega districts, which produced today's agreement. Romulus, one of the two districts that filed complaints with OCR, was invited to join Mega after it filed its complaint. Other high schools that were not invited to join, but will now receive invitations, include Robichaud, which filed the other complaint, Ypsilanti, Willow Run, River Rouge, Inkster and Highland Park high schools. Patrick expressed his appreciation for the cooperation and assistance provided by OCR to the Justice Department in reaching the agreement. # # # 96-151