WA school district failed to protect Black, Latino and LGBTQ+ students from harassment

Claire Bryan, The Seattle Times on Dec 17, 2024

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A U.S. Department of Justice investigation found that the Ellensburg School District in Central Washington failed to protect Black, Latino and LGBTQ+ students from pervasive harassment, including taunts, intimidation, death threats, humiliation and the use of racial and ethnic slurs.

Investigators determined that LGBTQ+ students also endured severe gender-based harassment by their peers, including slurs and physical assaults.

The Justice Department announced in a settlement agreement with the district that its failure to adequately respond led some students to miss class or transfer schools, denying them equal access to the district's educational programs.

As part of the agreement, the district and a third-party consultant will develop a system to document and manage reports of harassment, both verbal and written. This will include cases where students have been disciplined because harassment precipitated or contributed to their behavior. The district will train all staff on properly using the system before the 2025-26 school year.

"All students, whether Black, Latino or LGBTQ+, have a right to attend school free from harassment, intimidation and death threats," said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. "A school should be a place where students feel safe and supported. The department stands by these students and will ensure that schools respond quickly and effectively to protect students if they face harassment."

The 3,350-student school district is in Central Washington in Kittitas County.

The investigation began in August 2023 and was conducted jointly with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Washington. The agencies reviewed records from the 2021-22 to the 2023-24 school years and interviewed more than 100 people, including current and former students, teachers, administrators, parents and community members.

The DOJ noted that the district fully cooperated with the investigation.

"We have accepted the settlement agreement, and are committed to using the findings to improve our practices in order to respect the dignity of all our students," Ellensburg schools Superintendent Troy Tornow said in a statement.

The district has until April 1 to designate a district civil rights compliance coordinator and a liaison to Latino families who speaks fluent Spanish and can conduct community outreach and create new events for Latino parents and students.

The district will also develop policies and procedures to respond promptly and effectively to each report of alleged harassment. As part of an annual climate assessment, it will conduct climate surveys and listening sessions with students, parents, and staff to help identify and respond to harassment trends and concerns.

"We appreciate the work of the DOJ team, as well as the openness and honesty of our staff, administrators, students, and families that were interviewed," said Tornow. "We will begin working hard to fulfill our obligations in the agreement in order to improve our systems, and responses, so all students feel valued and safe in our schools and community."

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