PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Philadelphia charter school and its former CEO have agreed to pay nearly $4 million to settle claims that they rigged the school's admissions lottery against Black applicants.
The agreement resolves Civil Rights claims against the Franklin Towne Charter High School and former CEO Joseph Venditti. The Justice Department alleged that in January 2023, Franklin Towne manipulated its admissions lottery to keep out applicants from predominantly Black ZIP codes.
Under the agreement announced Friday by United States Attorney David Metcalf, the school will pay $3.6 million, and Venditti will pay $275,000.
In August 2023, the school board voted to begin proceedings to revoke the school's charter. Since then, Franklin Towne has replaced its CEO, and a third party runs its lottery.
Philadelphia School Board President Reginald Streater noted that the board has not withdrawn the revocation notice.
"The Board is committed to striving for fair and equitable access to public education for all Philadelphia students. We will continue to uphold the standards and requirements that apply to all public schools and to take action when there are concerns about compliance with those requirements," Streater wrote in a statement.
