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MISHAWAKA, Ind. — REAL News Michiana has obtained Penn Harris Madison School Corporation’s response to a Civil Rights complaint in which an attorney for the district brushes off its role in racial and sexual discrimination against middle school children as merely “incidental.”
BACKGROUND
In March of last year, a parent of four children in the PHM district filed a Civil Rights complaint for racial and sexual discrimination. The complaint centered around a STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) event for young girls being hosted at the University of Notre Dame. While the event claimed to be for all girls, the registration page for the day-long event showed only white children would be forced to pay to attend. However, girls of color and boys who identify as girls were to be offered “scholarships” to pay for the registration fee. The event was advertised by three PHM middle schools in their newsletters to parents.
In Discovery Middle School’s electronic newsletter, PHM provided a flyer for what was called the event. The flyer openly discriminated against white girls and straight boys.
“Partnering with Techbridge Girls, we seek to serve Black, Indigenous, and all girls of color, which includes cis girls, trans youth, gender nonconforming, and/or nonbinary youth who experience(d) girlhood and economic insecurity as part of their journey.” The flyer for the April 22nd event reads in part.
The registration section for the event then offered scholarships for children wanting to attend. However, white children apparently need-not-apply.
“Scholarship priority will be given to Black, Indigenous, and all girls of color, including cis girls, trans youth, gender-nonconforming, and/or nonbinary youth who experience(d) girlhood and economic insecurity as part of their journey.” The registration form explained.
PHM’S RESPONSE TO THE COMPLAINT
While PHM openly advertised the event and even described the racist scholarships, while also offering to help in the scholarship process, an attorney for the district attempted to claim PHM’s role in the discrimination was merely incidental.
“PHM has absolutely no affiliation with the Conference and its only assistance to it has been incidental and consistent with its treatment of other third-party providers of educational programming opportunities.” Attorney Amy Steketee Fox wrote in a response to the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights.
The attorney went on to lie about the circumstances surrounding PHM’s knowledge of the program’s discriminatory practices.
“PHM does not know whether the Conference excludes any applicants based on sex, race, or any other criteria.” Steketee Fox wrote in her response in July of last year.
However, video from the March 27th, 2023, school board meeting shows multiple parents speaking out about the discriminatory elements of the conference which was scheduled for April 22nd.
“(It’s) not very inclusive.” Parent Ben Dallas said after describing the discriminatory criteria for the scholarships. “What is so inclusive about excluding a certain race of people?”
“Is the language of this event appropriate to be advertised?” Another parent stated.
INVESTIGATION FINDINGS AND RETALIATION
In September, the Department of Education came down with its findings showing PHM indeed violated the Civil Rights of students and that the school district agreed to no longer promote discriminatory events.
The very next day, the parent who filed the complaint against PHM was banned from school property. That ban lasted for more than two months. The Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights has since opened another investigation into PHM for retaliation against the parent.
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