Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014: DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. —The DeKalb County School District has reached a settlement with federal authorities after a Sikh student was harassed.
The United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, Sally Quillian Yates, said that “every child should be able to attend school without fear of being taunted and physically assaulted based on his religion or national origin.”
The Sikh student told teachers that his peers called him “Aladdin.”
Now students and staff will undergo training to understand other religions.
“I’m outraged with that. It should have stopped before that I think training is necessary,” said Tonya Roberts.
DeKalb school officials have denied allegations that they failed to respond appropriately when the harassment was reported.
The settlement reinforces federal civil rights laws among DeKalb’s 100,000 students. The settlement also addresses specific post 911 stereotypes affecting students with Sikh and Muslim heritage.
“It’s good that somebody in the government is doing their job,” said civil rights attorney Craig Jones.
Jones said the settlement means other school districts will take notice and will most likely initiate the same policies if they haven’t done so already.
“Children need to learn respect for each other and respect for each other’s cultures, and a child shouldn’t have to worry about being treated differently because of the way they look, the way they talk or where they come from,” said Jones.
The DeKalb School District released this statement:
“When the School District was notified of a religious-based complaint by a student in 2013, an expeditious investigation was conducted to ensure the safety and protection of that student and others.
As a result, the District agreed to collaborate with the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice to ensure that our anti-bullying/harassment/hazing policies and administrative procedures are effectively implemented for an educational environment that is free from discrimination and harassment.
“This collaboration resulted in a resolution of the issue and has also given the School District a unique opportunity to commence developing innovative training initiatives for students, staff and stakeholders, which we believe will set the standard for School Districts nationwide.”