A federal judge ruled that Stacy Deemar, a drama teacher in Evanston/Skokie School District 65, can move forward with her Equal Protection claim alleging the district discriminated against her based on race through its equity initiatives.

U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp Jr. issued the ruling Tuesday, June 23, dismissing Deemar's Title VI claims but finding her constitutional argument viable. The case, first filed in 2021 and since amended, will now proceed toward trial on the question of whether District 65's race-conscious training programs and racially segregated staff meetings violated the 14th Amendment.

Deemar, who is white and has taught in the district since 2002, alleges District 65 directed all white staff to one room and non-white staff to another during a 2017–2018 meeting, and excluded her from a "Courageous Self Care" workshop reserved for "Asian and LatinX" staff during the 2019–2020 school year.

"It contains factual allegations that, if true, establish that she suffered a past harm," Judge Tharp wrote of Deemar's amended complaint, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The judge applied strict scrutiny, citing Supreme Court precedent that ameliorating societal discrimination does not justify race-based state action. He found the segregated meetings and race-exclusive affinity groups cannot withstand that standard.

Tharp did limit the case's scope. Deemar cannot seek an injunction because she transferred to Lincoln Elementary for the 2024–2025 school year and made no allegations about her treatment there. She can pursue nominal damages and a court declaration that the district's past conduct was unconstitutional.

Kim Hermann, president of the Southeastern Legal Foundation representing Deemar, said the ruling confirms that "any discrimination is too much," according to the Tribune's Thursday, June 25, report.

District 65 spokesperson Melissa Messinger said the district is reviewing the ruling with its attorneys and will share an update when it has one.

No future court date has been set. A separate federal lawsuit challenging Evanston's reparations program was allowed to proceed in March.