San Rafael school investigating racial allegation involving student and staff

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The leader of the San Rafael High School Black Student Union is calling for the reinstatement of a black security guard who was furloughed after an alleged racial incident on campus.

The petition, started by junior Marguerite Walden-Kaufman, seeks to recall security guard Royce Hughes back to campus as soon as possible.

He is also asking that the student involved in the incident, who allegedly hurled a racial slur at Hughes, be disciplined through a restorative justice program rather than simply suspended.

The petition had more than 1,100 signatures as of Monday.

“Royce Hughes is a beacon for us as black students,” Walden-Kaufman said. “He’s part of our community as a whole.”

She said Hughes got to know many students, making them feel safer and more comfortable on campus.

“It’s sad for us not to see him there,” she said. “We all care about him deeply and wish to express our wish to see him return.”

The petition states that the student directed the insult at Hughes, triggering Hughes to knock the food out of the student’s hands. City of San Rafael school officials declined to confirm details, citing confidentiality.

“The employee has been placed on paid administrative leave following the October 21 incident pending further investigation,” said Jim Hogeboom, the district superintendent.

“The district is also following our disciplinary guidelines for students under the education code,” Hogeboom added. .”

San Rafael High School principal Joe Dominguez said he already met with Walden-Kaufman and other members of the Black Student Union last week to discuss ways to improve the school climate.

According to Dominguez, while the high school embraces diversity and encourages a welcoming attitude for all students, that’s not enough. He said it’s disappointing that hate speech “is as prevalent at SRHS as it is in our community at large.”

“There’s more work to do,” Dominguez said.

Dominguez said discussions are ongoing.

“After many conversations with students and staff leaders, I believe we can provide more education and accountability around racist and hateful language,” he said. “I am grateful to have met with our Black Student Union this week, and they want to work together and find an expert to help our students and staff learn and solve several problems.”

He said the issues include how to interrupt and respond to hate speech, why the use of racist speech has no place on campus, and implementing a “gradual discipline plan that holds students accountable and provides a restorative element”.

Walden-Kaufman said she would like an outside racial equity group to visit the school to speak to students in hopes of increasing education and understanding. She said she also hopes that some form of restorative justice, such as a peer or student advocacy program, could be enforced so that any student involved in such incidents “can learn from their mistakes.”

“Suspending a student for repeatedly verbally attacking a staff member with the most disgusting racial slurs imaginable does not solve the problem,” she said in the petition.

“In a school that claims to value ‘equity’ and ‘diversity’, this is shocking,” she said. “The lack of communication, accountability and restorative practices has left us frustrated and unsupported.”

Hogeboom said the school is maintaining security on campus as the investigation progresses.

“We want to reassure all of our students, staff and families that our schools and our district have taken and will continue to take every precaution to ensure the safety of students and staff at our schools, which is our top priority. “, did he declare.

Hughes is in his seventh year on the campus security team at San Rafael High School, according to an article in the student newspaper last year. He graduated from high school in East Bay in 2007 and went on to play football in college before returning to the Bay Area and beginning his career in school safety, according to the article.

Hughes could not be reached for comment.

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