School leaders, CAIR meet over complaints

School leaders, CAIR meet over complaints
By Dave Aeikens • daeikens@stcloudtimes.com • March 27, 2010

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Twitter FarkIt Type Size A A A St. Cloud school district and leaders of a Minnesota Islamic civil rights group agreed Friday to continue to work together to make schools safe for all students.




Members of the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Minnesota chapter and St. Cloud school district officials met in St. Cloud for about 90 minutes Friday to discuss the complaint CAIR filed with the U.S. Department of Education claiming that Muslim students confront a hostile learning environment in St. Cloud schools. It is expected to take a month to determine whether there will be an investigation.
The school district has agreed that human resources director and human rights director Tracy Flynn Bowe will serve as the point person for any future complaints CAIR hears from St. Cloud students.
CAIR has also agreed to consider writing a second letter to the Department of Education saying that CAIR and St. Cloud school district have been partners in working through issues in the schools. The two sides are also considering a joint statement to the community saying the same thing.
Lori Saroya, president of Minnesota CAIR, said her group wants to move forward with the district on behalf of all students.
“We feel like there was a pause, and now we are back on track,” Saroya said.
CAIR and St. Cloud schools have been working through discrimination complaints from Muslim students since June. The relationship has included numerous face-to-face meetings, phone conversations and staff training provided by CAIR.
The district said it was disappointed that CAIR felt the need to take the complaint to the federal government and that the rights group’s letter had not included it had been working with St. Cloud schools the past nine months.
“I hope we continue to use them as a resource. They want that and we want that,” Superintendent Steve Jordahl said.
CAIR leaders were also planning to meet Friday with the parents of Somali students who feel they have been harassed.