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Kansas students and parents demand school board do more against racism [1]

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Date: 2023-12-05  

According to The Kansas City Star, in mid-November, a 15 yo Black female student was violently assaulted by a white teen at Shawnee Mission East High School in the Kansas suburbs of Kansas City, Missouri. After she had confronted classmates in a hallway about their racist language the white male told her to “shut the **** up”. The Black female turned to walk toward him and he charged her, using the N-word. They fought, and she ended up going to the hospital with a broken nose. She said she was suspended for five days, which she sees as unfair punishment for defending herself. The white teen was also supposedly suspended, but that wasn’t all…

The white teen was charged with felony aggravated battery in Johnson County District Court as a juvenile. Read more at: https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/education/article282698253.html#storylink=cpy

Shortly after the attack, “about 100” students walked out of the school to demand stronger punishment from the school for the white student than a brief suspension.

“I personally think the district should have a harsher punishment for stuff like this,” student Arturo German said. “I thought he should’ve gotten expelled in the situation given but they thought that he only deserved a suspension.” Senior Charlize Littlejohn said racism runs rampant at the school, including the use of slurs and microaggressions that she feels administrators have not handled appropriately. “These people are not getting the discipline that they need, so no one’s going to take anything seriously, and they’re going to keep thinking they can do it,” Littlejohn told The Star on Monday. The district, Smith said, has a policy prohibiting any discrimination or harassment, including racial discrimination or bullying among students. ✂️ Several high schoolers argued it was only the latest in a series of racist incidents they feel have happened without school leaders taking appropriate action. They are calling on school leaders to issue more serious discipline for discrimination and hate speech, plus make cultural changes so that students of color feel safe at school. Read more at: https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/education/article282470298.html#storylink=cpy Read more at: https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/education/article282430303.html#storylink=cpy

At a school board meeting shortly after the attack and the walkout, “roughly 80” students, parents, and community members to protest “a pattern of officials’ not taking action against rampant racism, hate speech and discrimination”.

Several high schoolers argued it was only the latest in a series of racist incidents they feel have happened without school leaders taking appropriate action. They are calling on school leaders to issue more serious discipline for discrimination and hate speech, plus make cultural changes so that students of color feel safe at school. Read more at: https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/education/article282470298.html#storylink=cpy ✂️ “The students who have spoken, it is clear, they do not feel like they have allies,” Grace Yasmine, parent and member of the Johnson County NAACP, told the school board. “Fear will ultimately affect the child’s academic outcomes. This is unjust and unfair.” Read more at: https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/education/article282698253.html#storylink=cpy

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