Monroe school union president calls on superintendent to step down over district's racism allegations
MONROE, Wash. - On Monday morning, students walked out of class at Monroe High School. By Monday night, the school district’s union president publicly asked for the superintendent to step down.
Tensions have been building for quite some time – students, teachers and parents say that the Monroe School District has a systemic problem with racism and equity.
As a middle school teacher and MEA union president, Robyn Hayashi explained it – teachers have been asking for help for roughly 10 years, specifically training for racial justice and equity. She told FOX 13 the issues that are making headlines are the result of ignoring those requests.
"We are asking for a change of leadership," she said. "The only way we can move forward is new leadership. We’re seeing hate creep up in our school, it’s becoming visible. So, it’s obvious to use that we need to do something now."
Earlier this year, a video went viral of a Black student being called the n-word while getting hit with a bottle. Shortly afterward, another parent stepped forward and explained that she removed her 11-year-old student from middle school because the district failed to address repeated complaints about her child being called the n-word.
RELATED: Family looking to leave Monroe following racial harassment, assault
In a third incident, the principal at Monroe High School was temporarily put on leave after using racist slurs during a school assembly, in an attempt to educate students about racism.
Teachers, parents and students came to Monday night’s meeting with concerns about how the district reacted to these issues – and their own. Originally scheduled to be held in-person, the meeting was shifted to online only. That didn’t stop roughly 50 teachers and parents from showing up outside the district’s main building with picket signs demanding action.
Chants of "safe schools," were held for roughly an hour before the meeting began – then people retreated to their vehicles to watch via cell phones, honking their horns to encourage speakers from afar.
Sarah Olson, a former student, was among the first speakers. She explained that she refused to raise her child in the district because of her own run-ins with racism while attending school.
"There’s a reason I’m choosing not to raise my brown, multi-cultural student in the district," Olson explained, appearing to fight through tears. "I don’t want him to go through the same experiences as I did. From the outside, people thought I was a good student, but I held a lot on the inside. I never even told my parents about a lot of these incidents until I was older."
The senior class president spoke up, urging board members to hear out her fellow classmates.
RELATED: Monroe parents say racism directed at 11-year-old forced them to remove him from class
"There are people who don’t feel safe," said Sophia Welch. "To hear that as school president is incredibly sad. I need help to try to fix that – I need you to hear what they have to say."
Another senior explained they had been punched in the face and called slurs. A third student said a number of her fellow LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC students feel they have to choose between safety and education.
The Monroe School District didn’t directly respond to public comment. The newly chosen board president explained that the board doesn’t respond to individual comments.
Instead, the group moved on to explain that a new diversity and equity consultant would be brought into schools soon. As for the students who are demanding additional change, the district has issued a statement in reaction to their walking off campus.
Superintendent Dr. Justin Blasko wrote: "We are aware and actively working to address concerns of racism and discrimination in our schools. We are concerned about the reports we have received and are deeply saddened to hear of instances of hate in our schools. We continue to investigate all circumstances of racism and discrimination to the fullest extent possible. We are renewing our focus on creating a culture where diversity, equity, and inclusion are celebrated so that ALL of our students feel safe and that they belong in our schools. We appreciate and acknowledge our students for activism and demonstrated dedication to equity today and always. It is going to take all of us working together to create a culture that supports and promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion for all."
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