Parents: Tutoring Program Discriminates

A city-run program that tutors low-income and underrepresented minorities for entrance tests to the city's specialized schools discriminates against minorities, a lawsuit filed yesterday by three Chinese parents in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn charges.

Every child should be allowed into the program, regardless of race, one of the mothers who filed the suit, Peggy Foo-Ching, said yesterday evening. "All children should have the opportunity to have a good education."

According to a spokesman for the Department of Education, Andrew Jacob, any student who meets the minimum academic standards for the program can apply for tutoring, but preference is given to low-income and underrepresented minority students, which doesn't include Asian students. The department is reviewing the program's eligibility criteria.