Philadelphia Charter School and Former CEO to Pay Nearly $4 Million Over Alleged Racial Discrimination in Admissions
Franklin Towne Charter High School in Philadelphia and its former CEO, Joseph Venditti, have agreed to pay a combined total of nearly $4 million to resolve federal allegations of racial discrimination. The Justice Department announced on Friday that the school and Venditti will separately pay $3,639,328.77 and $275,000, respectively. These payments address claims that they violated the False Claims Act by manipulating a January 2023 admissions lottery to reduce the chances of Black applicants being admitted. Federal officials contend that the school, under Venditti's direction, interfered with the supposed random lottery process. At the time of the alleged discrimination, Franklin Towne was receiving federal education grant funding, which falls under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in federally funded programs. The Justice Department noted that the settlement amounts were determined based on the defendants' ability to pay. The sc... 
