Amid news coverage of the horrific death of a student at Benjamin Franklin High School in Los Angeles, is this:
“Xavier’s parents say their son had dealt with bullying before and claim he was attacked by other students while in the 10th grade. . . They also allege that instead of the students they accuse of bullying him being disciplined, Xavier was reprimanded.”
Why would school administrators silence a bullied child? Because the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), in a social-justice quest to eliminate racial differences in suspensions and expulsions, pressures teachers to use ineffective “alternative discipline,” and to be especially careful about disciplining minorities. Here are just a few excerpts from LAUSD’s Discipline Foundation Policy:
- “When misconduct occurs, responses shall be culturally responsive and equitable…”
- School staff are required to “promote self-awareness of biases…”
- Schools must embrace LAUSD’s “School Climate Bill of Rights” which requires that “Alternatives to suspension strategies will be utilized for all students”
- Administrators examine individual teacher data “to identify and address disproportionality among student groups”
LAUSD, like over 600 other school districts identified by Federalism in Action’s nationwide research, prioritizes perpetrators over their victims. The result is a nationwide epidemic of school violence and disorder, much of it covered up by school administrators. We encourage parents and lawmakers to take action, and to reach out to our team for help.
Together we can make our schools safe again.
