Black Parents Organize Against Discrimination in DCPS, Plan Appeal of Judges Ruling in School Closure Case WASHINGTON, D.C. – When Federal Court Judge James Boasberg ruled late Friday in favor of Defendants in the case filed by Black parents challenging the discriminatory impact of DCs public school closures, he opined that issues of school privatization were best decided by the voters in DCs upcoming Mayoral election, not by the courts. The white Federal Judge who attended elite private schools while growing up in upper crust Washington acknowledged that the closures impacted Black students disproportionately, but denied there was evidence of a racial motive in the school closings plan. Meanwhile, plaintiffs and other Black parents participating in Empower DCs Education Campaign are launching an effort to fight the discrimination they face daily at a school level when seeking to participate in their childrens education. They are inviting parents to share their stories of being discriminated against and help write a Parent Bill of Rights as a basis of affirming their role in their childrens education. Plaintiffs are also planning to appeal the Judges ruling. We were not surprised by this ruling, said attorney Johnny Barnes, as the Judge signaled his posture from the outset. We however are not deterred and will appeal. The rise of school closures in Black communities, the undue influence of private funders who profit from school privatization - this is Brown Vs Board 2.0. There are disputed facts in this case and the Judge should have allowed these facts to be considered by a jury. The case Smith Vs Henderson was originally filed in early 2013, challenging the constitutionality of the decision by Mayor Vincent Gray and D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson to close fifteen public schools in Black neighborhoods. The plaintiffs are members of Empower DC, a citywide community organization promoting the self-advocacy of low and moderate-income DC residents that has led organizing efforts to block school closures. “There is nothing more crazy-making then telling Black people, who are being disproportionately harmed and impacted by government policies, that there is no evidence of racial intent simply because no one in power was found to have made explicitly racially discriminatory statements, said Empower DCs Executive Director Parisa Norouzi. But that is the reality that our constituents face daily in DC, as the city targets Black communities for transformation, AKA displacement to make way for the new, wealthier and whiter residents moving into the city. Institutionalized racism is rampant in DC today, despite the presence of Black elected officials. “Through these latest closures DCPS has caused harm to 3,000 low income children of color, stripping them of the friends, teachers and staff which provided them support and made up their community,” said Empower DC Education Organizer Daniel del Pielago. “DCPS has done this without investing time or resources to ensure the well being of students after school closures and without making promised investments in the receiving schools. We must continue to organize against the planned closure of Sharpe Health and Mamie D Lee Schools, attended by our most vulnerable special needs students, to save them from the same fate.” One of the students harmed by closures was Relisha Rudd, who lived in the DC General Shelter with her mother until she disappeared two months ago. Lead plaintiff Shannon Smith spoke recently about Relisha on Empower DCs radio program Taking Action, saying that at Ferebee-Hope everyone looked out for. We listened to her, Smith said. When Ferebee-Hope closed, Relisha lost the protection of her school community, and at her new school people did not immediately notice her absence. Ironically, the Deputy Mayor for Educations latest School Boundary Revision proposal suggests reopening Ferebee-Hope, along with MacFarland and 3 other schools that were closed by the Chancellor last year. The plaintiffs in this case would be happy for their schools to reopen, though it would be too late for their children whose education was already interrupted. They want the schools to be restored for other children, though, and for discrimination in DC Public Schools to stop. That is why they have decided to appeal the Judges decision, keeping the court case alive while they begin organizing for the development of a Parent Bill of Rights. The Judges ruling can be found here: https://ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_public_doc?2013cv0420-38
Posted on: Mon, 21 Jul 2014 17:51:25 +0000
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