Feds to investigate complaints from St. Cloud Somali students

Feds to investigate complaints from St. Cloud Somali students
By Dave Aeikens • daeikens@stcloudtimes.com • May 26, 2010

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Twitter FarkIt Type Size A A A The U.S. Department of Education will investigate claims of discrimination against Somali students in St. Cloud and Owatonna high schools, federal officials said Tuesday.

The investigation is in response to a complaint from the Council on American-Islamic Relations asking the department's Office of Civil Rights to investigate claims in the two school districts. Minnesota CAIR detailed a number of incidents in St. Cloud's high schools that they say show Somali students confront a hostile and harassing environment.

"I'm sure (the investigation) will start fairly soon. Resolution can take anywhere from a month to several months," said Justin Hamilton, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Education.

The letter the department sent to the school district asks for information related to harassment complaints involving Somalis at Technical High School and Apollo High School. It asks for a written response to the allegations and school policies on discrimination. The district has 15 days to return the information.
Tracy Flynn Bowe, the district human resources director and civil rights officer, said the matter has been turned over to the district's lawyers.

The district and CAIR Minnesota have waited several weeks to find out if the federal government would investigate.

Most of the incidents reported are at Apollo, but Tech was included as well. St. Cloud school district completed an internal investigation this month of incidents at Apollo that showed that taunting did occur, leading to discipline. The investigation was unable to confirm incidents involving pork bacon, staff conduct and bus drivers.

Reactions
Superintendent Steve Jordahl said he is disappointed in the decision because the district has many things going on to make the district a welcoming place for all students.

"It is not a surprise. The investigation is going ahead because of a complaint, not because of the positives that are happening," Jordahl said.

In a statement, CAIR Minnesota, which is in St. Paul, said it welcomed the investigation.

"Our goal is to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all students," said CAIR Minnesota Civil Rights Director Taneeza Islam. "Decades after the beginning of the civil rights movement, no student should be constantly subjected to racial slurs or harassment at school."

Hamilton said the department cannot investigate for religious discrimination. But it can investigate possible discrimination based on national origin, race or color.

Authority
In its letter to CAIR Minnesota, the U.S. Department of Education office of civil rights said it has the jurisdiction to investigate the complaint, and the complaints were filed in a timely manner. The investigation does not mean the allegations have merit.

"They will be on the ground. They will talk to the group that filed the complaint, those that are allegedly impacted and anyone else who they need to get to the bottom of it," Hamilton said.

The district's report studied 14 incidents and confirmed many of them. One Somali student made 10 different complaints. The report determined Somali students were taunted and teased and that district staff dealt with the problems and students were punished. The report also showed Somali students were involved in harassing behavior toward non-Somali students.

CAIR also reported incidents that said Somali students had pork bacon shoved in their faces and that teachers were taking part in harassment or condoning it. Those incidents were not proven, the district's report said. The district could not confirm a claim in which Somali students said a bus driver deliberately drove away from them while they waited for a bus.