Recently, the Department of Justice released findings from a 2-year investigation of racial harassment claims of Black and Asian students in the Davis School District. The investigation exposed incidents of Black students being called “slaves”, the N-word, receiving threats of lynching, an inability to form student groups and being more harshly disciplined than White students. According to the report, complaints related to these incidents were dismissed by school employees and administrators.

The Davis School District has not denied the incidents cited in the report. In fact, district officials acknowledged that there may be more than 200 incidents of similar harassment claims that were not reported to the Justice Department. Failure to report these incidents, in addition to failing to address them, makes it more likely that continued harassment occurs and at worst is condoned.

The effects of bullying and harassment in schools is widely known and its consequences are harmful. Students who are victims of harassment are more likely to miss school, drop out of school, have lowered academic performance, feel excluded/marginalized, have lowered self-esteem and diminished mental health outcomes. These effects extend into adulthood and severely impact psychological wellbeing.

It is clear that the incidents cited in this report and the subsequent failure of Davis School District employees to respond appropriately, indicates that the Davis school District did not provide their students equal protection under the law. When a school district becomes aware of a violation of this magnitude, it is legally required to pay attention and respond. We should expect our school districts to take claims of harassment seriously, to understand the implications and to respond timely and appropriately.

The Davis County Democratic Party will not tolerate or remain silent on issues of injustice in our community. We hope for a society in which we encourage students to confront, as opposed to commit, incidences of racial/ethnic harassment. We understand that legal mandates alone are only one step toward eliminating discrimination and prejudice. Intervention at a familial, societal, and cultural level is also needed. Please refer to the organization Learning for Justice (www.learningforjustice.org) for ideas on how to reduce prejudice in your home, schools, and community.

Submitted by the Davis County Democratic Executive Committee,

Stroh DeCaire, Chair

Emma Mansour, Vice Chair

Jessica Stamps, Secretary

Robert Newton, Treasurer

Newsletter