Iowa City community leaders demand action against racism in schools

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Dozens of Iowa City community members attended a second consecutive school board meeting on Tuesday to send a message: The district must take action against racism.

Speakers pointed out that the events earlier this month, when two West High students used blackface and racist slurs on social media, are emblematic of a much larger and long-unresolved problem in the district. Many of the calls to action and accountability have come from community leaders, including members of the city’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the Johnson County Interfaith Coalition and the Black Voices Project.

“I went to the Iowa City Community School District, kindergarten to grade 12,” commission chairman Mohamed Traore, the first of 20 speakers, said Tuesday evening. “At that time, I went through what a lot of black college students go through: constant bullying, racism, administrators who do next to nothing about it. “

“You have to act now,” Traore told the school board. “Otherwise, you will see minority students leaving this neighborhood en masse. “

Concerns over the treatment of students of color in the district were the focus of two hours of public comment at the previous council meeting on November 9. About 100 high school students from across the district protested again on November 19.

More: Iowa City West students call for systemic change after racist social media post

But the events of early November were not unique, and many commentators on Tuesday night included current students.

This week, the district alerted families to yet another racist social media post posted by a student.

On Monday, Tate High School deputy principal Luke DeVries sent a message to families, staff and students saying school officials learned over the weekend that a “racist article was posted on social media by a Tate High student that included the use of the N-word ”.

The post was a selfie of a white college student wearing a face mask with “TRUMP” printed on it and captioned “These (obscenities) are annoying as shit”.

DeVries’ post included a link to a survey for students asking how the school could best provide support. He also stated that the behavior in the above mentioned post is unacceptable.

Calls to responsibility

The Rev. Meg Wagner, a member of the Johnson County Interfaith Coalition, told the school board on Tuesday that she recognizes efforts have been made to tackle issues of racism.

Wagner referred to the Global Plan for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion 2019-2022, which outlines steps to reduce achievement gaps and address disproportionate levels of disciplinary action taken against students of different races, increasing the diversity of district staff and promoting culturally appropriate policies, among other measures. .

“But our fear is that, like too many plans and strategies that came before it, (the equity plan) won’t make the kind of difference our young people need and are asking for,” Wagner said.

The school board must take action beyond statements that racism will not be tolerated, Wagner continued – such as visiting schools regularly and meeting with student leaders, providing them with frequent accountability reports on the measures. fairness and clearly describe how racist behavior is dealt with. .

Reverend Doyle Landry began his stint on the podium by referring to the work of black journalists, including Lutrelle Palmer, who earned a doctorate. from the University of Iowa, Vernon Jarrett, the founder of the National Association of Black Journalists, and Dorothy Tucker, the current president of the NABJ.

More: Discipline Of Black Students In Iowa City Schools Grows More Disproportionate, Data Says

Landry spoke directly to Superintendent Matt Degner, telling him to spend the money to bring educator Jane Elliott to the district “so people understand what it’s like to be treated a certain way. based on something over which they had no control. “

Elliott, a white teacher in Riceville, Iowa, created the “Blue eyes / brown eyes” exercise still often used following the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The exercise teaches children about discrimination by separating them in a classroom and assigning them traits, such as intelligence, to the color of their eyes.

At one point, Landry left the podium that speakers use to address the board during the public comment period, approaching board members as he addressed them. Board chairman Shawn Eyestone called the behavior unacceptable and Landry responded by saying the district’s treatment of African American children was unacceptable.

Landry pointed out that Degner’s salary – and what Degner could use it to pay for, like housing – comes from taxpayers.

“If the racism persists tonight, don’t make yourself comfortable in your house,” Landry said.

Angel Taylor of the Black Voices Project spoke shortly after. She gave the board 30 days to implement the changes and said without it the board could expect black students to leave the district.

“We’re ready to do it,” Taylor said. “Because I’m done talking. “

The Reverend Anthony Smith, chairman of the Interfaith Coalition, listed a number of organizations he says are awaiting response and action, including the NAACP, the Black Student Union, the Johnson County Interfaith Coalition and the Black Voices Project.

“You are responsible to every black student that sits behind me, every black student that is in the district. The reason you’re in the position you are in is because someone thought you might be responsible. as it seems right now, that responsibility is being called into question. We need you to prove us wrong, “he said.

He urged board members and district leaders to meet with community leaders about the issues raised at the meeting.

“If you walk away from us, you’ll never know anything about us,” Smith said. “And that makes it easier for you not to be responsible.”

Degner, board members discuss next steps

At the end of the November 9 meeting, school board members asked Superintendent Matt Degner for details of the district’s response to the video incident in West.

Regarding the specific incident, Degner told council on Tuesday that the district had followed its “threat assessment process” and disciplinary policies.

The Press-Citizen confirmed that the Iowa City Police Department received a call from West High School regarding the video on November 11. Responding to a request to see the corresponding incident report, Lee Hermiston, the spokesperson for the department, said the report was not public because it is a “confidential investigation file.”

The school also distributed complaint forms to students in response to the West incident, Degner said. In the short term, students and staff could also attend mandatory trainings on bullying, harassment and discrimination, as well as more meetings with administrators, students and restorative justice ambassadors to resolve issues. problems.

In the long term, Degner said the district plans to ensure that a clearly defined disciplinary policy is in place for dealing with racial slurs.

Last year, the district began evaluating administrators based on a “fairness” standard. This standard will also be used for teacher assessments in the future.

He also said the district will work to garner input from more students at the building level, including through the establishment of building-level equity committees like the one at the district level. Black student unions are also formed in high schools.

The district will also continue to create the ombudsman’s office, a new position for the district this year and created as part of efforts to build community confidence and address issues of racial prejudice.

Learn more about the role of the ombudsman: Advocating for fair treatment, fair processes: ICCSD welcomes first-ever ombudsman

“It’s probably not an exhaustive list, but I think it’s a good framework for a starting point (for) our long-term and short-term response,” Degner said of the steps he has taken. listed Tuesday.

School board member Charlie Eastham asked the superintendent how confident he was that the students would not come back to the school board in six months with the same concerns.

Degner said he won’t sugarcoat it or guarantee it won’t happen again.

“It’s a big job, isn’t it? We have to start managing and changing this experience, student by student, school by school, teacher by teacher,” Degner said.

Cleo Krejci covers education for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. You can reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter via @_CleoKrejci.

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