In a shocking, horrifying incident at Shawnee Mission East High School, a Black student was hospitalized after being attacked by a white male student. Despite being the victim, she faces suspension in a case highlighting systemic racism and administrative negligence.

  • originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com
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    1 year ago

    i remember this story from 30 years ago. here it is; no administrator wants to/is allowed to make a decision. so everyone gets the same punishment, and no actual judgments are made as everyone is at fault.

    schools administrators can now be replaced with a matrix of policy, they need no longer be human. this is what happens when parents sue school districts into the ground.

    • jws_shadotak
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      1 year ago

      But by doing this are they not opening themselves to even worse lawsuits? A student was called a racial slur and hospitalized and they’re handing her the same punishment as the aggressor.

      • TechyDad@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        According to the article, racism is a systemic problem in this school. One of the school officials, yelled at some black kids because they were walking down the hall together and thus “were looking intimidating.”

        When the administration is racist, they’re willing to overlook students being racist.

      • Copernican@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I always hate the blurred lines of administrative disciplinary action or criminal investigation. What is the schools role if a criminal investigation is underway.

        Also, I think the article is missing some key facts, like durations of suspensions. I think some could argue that both the boy and girl deserve some suspension, but it by no means should be equal suspension given the racial charged aggression. Is there a difference between a closed fist punch versus a shove? Who through the first punch?

        Did the article even mention the date this occurred? It just says last week, which was a holiday week. So come Tuesday not sure how long the suspensions have even been served and what the administration is deciding for next steps.

        • Stoneykins [any]@mander.xyz
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          1 year ago

          She defended herself after he attacked her you goob.

          There is no defensible argument for suspending her. She very clearly defended herself.

          • CileTheSane@lemmy.ca
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            1 year ago

            “If someone starts to assault you just say ‘no thank you.’
            It’s against the rules for them to continue.”

          • Syrc@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Actually you can see she’s the one who went for the face first. He was just provoking and pushing.

            Bullies rarely start physically attacking people, they just provoke until the victim snaps so they have the green light and can say they’re not the ones who started it. That’s why it’s so hard to frame stuff like this, victims are in a situation of emotional stress and more prone to be impulsive, while bullies know what they’re doing and how to be able to “play the victim” afterwards.

      • limelight79@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        I wonder if it would fall under the umbrella of a civil rights violation, in federal court.

        • WetBeardHairs@lemmy.ml
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          1 year ago

          Tort reform isn’t the solution here. Tort reform is used as a cudgel to let bad actors get away with bad actions with minimal consequences. What needs to happen is the State AG needs to step in and defend schools in these cases so the school districts aren’t left to their own legal defense.

          • TheFriar@lemm.ee
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            1 year ago

            But doesn’t that depend on how it’s enacted? Writing new laws can go however the author wants it to.

    • neanderthal@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      This all comes back to school board elections. How much information is typically available about school board candidates?