A Kansas community college was ordered by the Department of Justice to reform its policies and procedures on discipline, campus security, housing, and racial harassment after the school was accused of unfairly expelling and discriminating against its Black student-athletes.
The U.S. Justice Department reached this settlement with the Highland Community College after two lawsuits were filed against the institution for its discriminatory practices and on-campus harassment against some of its Black students.
The first lawsuit was filed by three former coaches who alleged that college leaders readily worked to reduce the number of Black student-athletes by purposely not recruiting African-Americans.
They claimed that school leaders sought “to make Highland white again.” That federal lawsuit also detailed how college leaders worked to intimidate some of its Black student-athletes into withdrawing from school.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a second lawsuit against the school, claiming that Highland would expel Black students for minor or bogus violations and were targeted for searches, surveillance, and harassment on campus.
Federal data from 2022 shows that even though Black students make up about 11 percent of the campus, about half of Highland’s student-athlete population, up until recently, was Black. The complaints allege that the school subjected those students to more severe and unfair treatment than their white peers.
When the Justice Department opened its investigation into the school in January 2022, which the school fully cooperated in, its officers investigated these allegations.
The settlement between the feds and the school requires the college to revise its policies and practices to improve the campus climate, improve the fairness of its disciplinary proceedings brought against students, and strengthen its training for campus security to promote consistent, non-discriminatory interactions between security personnel and students.
Additionally, the college must ensure an effective response to students’ complaints of racial discrimination and make sure that its campus security officers are thoroughly trained on effective de-escalation techniques and non-coercive methods of gathering information.
“No college student should have their educational experience marred or disrupted by discrimination based on their race,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said. “Community colleges are an important pathway to four-year institutions and the workforce, and federal law requires that their campuses, programs and activities be equally available to all without regard to race. The Justice Department is committed to protecting the civil rights of college students across the country to pursue a higher education in a safe, welcoming and discrimination-free environment.”
Highland Community College President Deborah Fox said the school welcomed working with the Justice Department’s Educational Opportunities Section to come to a consensus about how to improve campus life for students.
“Our student body is the most important part of the Highland Community College experience. We want to ensure that all students feel welcome to learn, develop, and thrive as they take important steps in their educational journey,” Fox said.
Fox, who was appointed school president in 2019, was embroiled in some controversy last year after she likened one of the school’s Black football players to Hitler, whom she called “a great leader,” according to The Associated Press.
Fox remarked on the player’s leadership skills and his influence on other Black teammates during a meeting about the alleged harassment of Black student-athletes. She later explained to local news outlet KCUR that she was trying to describe “negative leadership” and apologized to the school for her “poor choice of words.”
Highland Community College is about 80 miles northwest of Kansas City, Missouri, and approximately 3,200 students make up its student population.
