NORTH HUNTINGDON, Pa. (KDKA) — The U.S. Department of Education has found that Norwin School District did not adequately address a “racially hostile environment” that developed over several months, culminating in troubling incidents involving students displaying Confederate flags and referencing the Ku Klux Klan.
According to a report by the Department of Education, students in the predominantly white district engaged in “racially harassing conduct” for over ten months in 2021. This included the use of racial slurs and sharing offensive content in group chats and on social media platforms.
Despite being informed of “severe and pervasive incidents of racial harassment,” the district failed to properly evaluate whether these incidents contributed to a hostile environment. The report highlighted that some incidents were not recognized as race-based harassment, and the district did not take appropriate action in response to reported occurrences.
One incident involved a student posting a video with racially offensive content, which prompted a Black student to express concern to school officials, stating, “Things like this affect me often.” The Department of Education indicated that the district did not take steps to address the impact of the video.
Another series of exchanges on social media and group chats reportedly promoted violence against Black individuals. Although the district referred the matter to local law enforcement, it “did not otherwise respond – at all,” neglecting to consider whether these posts contributed to a racially hostile environment.
The situation escalated further in October 2021, when two students associated with prior incidents wore Confederate flags to school during a “‘Merica Monday” themed event as part of homecoming week. The district also became aware of a social media photo of these students captioned “kool kids klub,” which alluded to the KKK.
The Department of Education’s investigation revealed that none of the district administrators interviewed considered wearing a Confederate flag to school as racial harassment, despite the overwhelming evidence of a hostile environment presented through numerous communications from students, parents, teachers, and community members.
As a result of the findings, Norwin School District has entered into a resolution agreement to comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. This agreement mandates several actions, including:
- Reviewing all incidents from the 2021-2022 school year.
- Providing Title VI training for district employees.
- Auditing all complaints of racial harassment from 2021 to the present.
The district is now tasked with ensuring a safer and more inclusive environment for all students moving forward.
