A Kansas school district amended its student code of conduct to include specific disciplinary measures for the use of hate speech following a racially charged fight between a Black girl and a white boy that drew national attention.
That fight at Shawnee Mission East High School started after a white sophomore was caught on video hurling racial slurs at a Black 15-year-old girl before beating her and breaking her nose.
The white student was subsequently charged with felony aggravated battery. He pleaded guilty in May and was sentenced to 18 months in juvenile detention in June.
The fight caused uproar among the student body and the surrounding community. Several students contended that the fight was part of a culture of racism at the school that administrators hadn’t sufficiently addressed.
Some community members also asserted that the girl was a victim of a hate crime since she confronted two white female students for using racial slurs and calling Black people “slaves” before the fight began.
Students demanded district officials change the disciplinary policy, noting that punishments for racist incidents are decided by administrators who don’t regularly dole out penalties that ensure student safety.
Students began protesting last November and hosted roundtable sessions and focus groups about necessary corrective actions. Their efforts finally yielded results this summer. In June, the school board unanimously voted to update the Shawnee Mission student handbook and spell out specific punishments for racist slurs and derogatory speech.
The new student handbook now classifies “jokes, slurs, and other derogatory or demeaning comments” as “significant disrespect.”
Disciplinary action for first offenses ranges from a conference with the student, detention, apology, restitution, or a follow-up record of student commitment. First offenders could also receive out-of-school suspension under parent supervision for one to ten days.
Repeated or more serious offenses will lead to a short-term suspension to expulsion of not more than a calendar year.
“This additional language provides explicit recognition and an opportunity to address and communicate and educate as our students and families come back to us in the fall on what is appropriate versus what is inappropriate in our schools,” District Chief of Student Services Christy Ziegler said, per the Kansas City Star.
The Shawnee Mission school board also expanded the disciplinary measures under “discrimination and harassment.”
First offenses will lead to temporary removal from class or a short-term suspension. Repeated or severe offenses’ penalties range from short-term suspension to expulsion.
Ziegler stated that these steps will be part of a five-year strategic plan to cultivate a more inclusive culture in the school district.
“While expectations are high, we know we will need to support our students through teachable moments, through educating, coaching, counseling and collaborating,” Ziegler’s statement said, according to KCUR. “We are committed to making sure our schools are places where each person is treated with dignity and respect and feels a sense of belonging.”
