Inter-agency Group Mobilizes to Address Alleged Hate Speech in Anderson Union High School District
The District’s policies on hate speech are clear. But some parents of students who have been affected by racist language say they’re not being followed. Advocates are mobilizing to provide support to families and ensure accountability from the 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.
Do you have a correction to share? Email us: editor@shastascout.org.
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The article is dealing with one issue- racism. The comment by “Rebecca” above reads much like a person who attends the Board of Supervisor meeting and speaks in such “ummm” rapid fire sentences, is part of M4L, MTM and probably has access to all sorts of information-legitimately or not….. that’s a lot of accusations….
As a former student I can say that this has been an issue at this school for a very long time. Hopefully something gets done.
Hi, so the Superintendent wasn’t even reached out to before this article was written? And all these organizations descended upon the school??? I bet there are racist issues in every school district in Shasta County, unfortunately. But somehow only AUSHD is being singled out? Hmmmm…I wonder why. Just wondering, have you reported on RSTEM’s firing of a teacher who was allegedly grooming at least one student? And then that same teacher was hired within a month at another local school? What about the substitute teacher caught with his pants down in class?? I’d love to know if these serious issues have been reported on as well. Thanks.
Why are you mad that they’re doing something good here ? 😭🙏🏽
Rebecca: I can’t disclose anything confidential but as someone who was in the organizing meeting as a reporter, I’ll say that families who have not experienced an appropriate response from a school principal understandably have a lot of hesitation and concern about approaching the District Sup or Board. You’re probably right that there is racism in every school and I welcome families to come forward for us to report those stories. In this case I want to emphasize (due to allegations made on Facebook about why we covered this story) that this coverage is not related to politics on the AUHSD School Board or trying to in any way affect elections outcomes there. You’ll notice this story includes no mention of individual board members or of the other issues that AUHSD has been in the news for. The District Sup and the Board have been given the opportunity through this story to provide the appropriate support for those facing racism in AUHSD. I assume they’ll step up to the task. When we see racism, or read about it, we have the opportunity to unequivocally say . . . racism is wrong. We don’t even have to believe the allegations to say . . . Racism. Is. Wrong.
The AUHS Board of Trustees should be reacting to this racial inequity issue and condemning it at a special meeting. Two of them are apparently too busy to be doing their jobs as BoT members and running for other city and county offices. Jackie LaBarbera and Darin Hale seem to be all of a sudden uninterested in being a BoT at AUHS. School officials should act in a most rapid manner on this issue. Racial discrimination has no place in any educational institution.