Letter to the editor: Racism and ‘freedom of expression’ in Norwin
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Has the Norwin School District truly been so obtuse that for at least three years it did not recognize and address racial conflict in its high school until forced to do so by the U.S. Department of Education (“Norwin failed to eliminate ‘racially hostile environment,’ Department of Education says,” Oct. 2, TribLive)? That it agrees to “taking steps essential to effectively address the racially hostile environment” does not sound as though the district is in a hurry to solve the problem but rather is dragging its feet.
Instead of having presentations and meetings to address the student body as well and holding individual students accountable for racist statements (including using clothing to advertise racist views), one school board member disingenuously approves of the images of the Confederate flag and thinly disguised references to the Ku Klux Klan as acceptable “freedom of expression.”
Add to this students’ social media posts depicting lynching and burning of Black people, and any reasonable person sees clear evidence of racial intimidation. In fact, considering that the student population is less than 2% Black, this “freedom of expression” amounts to terrorism.
When a female student’s complaint to school authorities is dismissed, how is she to feel safe and respected? In the years this has gone on, how many other students’ education and mental health have suffered during their years in high school? How many of the other 98% of students have learned that it’s OK to be a bully under the guise of “freedom of expression”?
Is this not a “substantial … disrupt(ion)” of the “educational environment”?
Linda Rose Dupree
Swissvale