The American Civil Liberties Union has sued Eureka City (Calif.) Schools, alleging pervasive and systemic racism and sexism in the district. The Eureka Times-Standard says the suit alleges that administrators have turned a deaf ear to complaints of racial taunting and bullying, that minority students are disproportionately disciplined, that the district fail to comply with federal laws protecting students with disabilities and that numerous employees of the district made racially and sexually insensitive comments. The ACLU also has filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education requesting that it launch an investigation into possible instances of racism in the Loleta (Calif.) Union School District.
REACTION: The Eureka district has issued a statement in response to the lawsuit. It reads, in part: "We have investigated and will continue to investigate claims of harassment and discrimination that are brought to our attention. At this time we are not aware of evidence to support the allegations. We do not tolerate harassment or discrimination, and we believe every student is entitled to a safe school environment free from discrimination, harassment, intimidation and bullying."
