Inter-agency Group Mobilizes to Address Alleged Hate Speech in Anderson Union High School District
California education law is meant to protect students from experiencing hate speech including the use of racist language, at school. But some students and parents in Anderson Union High School District say the law, and AUHSD policies, aren’t being enforced on their campus.
After unsuccessfully trying to communicate their concerns to school administrators, a small group of parents reached out to local advocacy organizations for help. About a dozen people from eight different advocacy groups met with parents and students to discuss the issue recently, only days after the new school year started.
Organizers responding to concerns include representatives from the The Beloved Community, the Islamic Center of Redding, the Sikh Centre, the Anti-Racism Task Force, Shasta County Citizens Advocating for Respect, Affram 2015 and SEIU 2015 as well as the Ethnic Minority and Human Rights representatives of the California Teacher’s Association.
AUHSD’s policy on hate-motivated behavior prohibits discriminatory statements that degrade an individual on the basis of their actual or perceived race or ethnicity. Students who demonstrate such hate-motivated behavior, the policy says, shall be subject to discipline. The policy also says that the district will provide counseling, guidance and support to both victims and perpetrators as necessary.
Hate speech is also addressed under California education code, which says that acts of “hate violence” which include oppressing or intimidating others based on their racial identity, may lead to suspensions or even expulsions.
But parents report that students who have used hate speech in at least one AUHSD school have faced only minimal disciplinary action including being asked to apologize and assigned to short stints of picking up trash at school. Students who have reported hate speech say they’ve also faced retaliation from other students at the school for doing so.
The District includes Anderson Union High School, West Valley Early College High School, and Anderson New Technology High School along with adult and alternative education programs.
For this story, Shasta Scout agreed to keep the names of individual students and the specific school they attend within the District, confidential, to address their concerns for further retaliation, something that’s strictly prohibited under California law.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) students and parents can respond to discrimination in school by filing a complaint within six months of the incident, with either the school principal, the District superintendent, or both. Complaints filed at the District level must be responded to by the District within sixty days, in writing. If you’re unsatisfied with your local District response you can appeal to the California Department of Education but must do so within fifteen days of the District’s response.
AUHSD Superintendent Brian Parker responded to a request for comment from Shasta Scout earlier this week saying that while he can’t comment on particulars without knowing them, he encourages students and families who have experienced discriminatory behavior of any kind to reach out to their school administrators immediately.
“If the student/family does not feel the situation was handled appropriately,” Parker said, “please bring the issue to my attention as soon as possible. AUHSD does not tolerate racist speech.”
The inter-agency advocacy group that’s responding to reports of racist speech in local schools say they plan to approach Parker and the Board soon with their concerns. They want to ensure that schools are following the District’s policies on hate-motivated behavior. They’re also hoping to encourage using a “restorative justice” model, focused primarily on education rather than punishment, for those who have engaged in hate speech.
In the meantime organizers hope other Shasta County families will reach out if they are experiencing racism in local schools. You can contact the group at shastaantiracismtaskforce@gmail.com.
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