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Title : Hazel Wolf K-8 Struggles with Racial Slurs
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Hazel Wolf K-8 Struggles with Racial Slurs

The story was from the Seattle Times about students at Hazel Wolf K-8 having a protest over the lack of action from their administration on the use of racial slurs. What the Times writes versus what some of the comments - which seem to be from PTSA/staff - are quite different.  As in most of these cases, there are two items to remember.

Editor's note: KUOW also had a story and I'll link to that when available as one teen had a snappy answer about action on the issue.

One, no school likes its dirty laundry publicly aired.

Two, it seems striking that kids would have a protest rally because they feel their administration is not doing enough to check racial slurs at their school.  That speaks well of the student body to have that kind of reaction.

What happened?

A crowd of students and parents protested outside Hazel Wolf K-8 in Seattle’s Northgate area Friday morning, calling for more action in response to racial bullying there.

Twice this school year already, black students have been referred to by racial slurs and compared to monkeys by some of their peers, said Aselefech Evans, who chairs the racial-equity committee of the school’s parent-teacher association.

Racial slurs have been a problem at the school for a few years now, she said. But despite parents and students reporting the incidents, protesters said the school administration hasn’t done enough to address the incidents directly.

The key terms seem to be "for a few years now" and yet the administration "hasn't done enough to address the incidents directly."

One student said, "she received pushback and skepticism when she told an administrator at Hazel Wolf that one of her friends was the target of a slur."

What its principal says is troubling:

In an email, Debbie Nelsen, the principal, confirmed that racial name-calling among students happens at the school. But she called the allegations against the school “inaccurate.”

“We deal with every situation brought to us immediately and with a constant eye on social justice and equity,” she wrote. “This includes gathering as much information as possible so that we are able to move forward based on facts.”

She said the school settles these incidents on a case-by-case basis; first by interviewing the students involved, then notifying their parents and then determining what the next steps should be. This year’s incidents have already been addressed, she said, but she did not provide specific information about how.

A case-by-case basis on an issue that has been going on for a few years?  And this is a school with a Racial Equity Committee.

What do students want?

Students have three requests for the school: 

• an end to anti-black racial slurs, 
• an assembly or presentation informing students about the history of racist language and 
• more support for students affected by these incidents. 

Parents want formal, accessible documentation of cases where students are called racial slurs, more transparency and notifications about when these incidents happen — especially to immigrant families — and more teachers of color.

 I don't think that's asking a lot from an on-going situation. 

Nelsen said the school already documents the cases in students’ discipline files, and invites parents of those affected to the school. She said the school is also working on a way to educate students on the significance and history of racial slurs.

Working on a way? What with the school already having a Racial Equity Committee AND help available at JSCEE? Hmmm.

The district's comment:

“Today’s demonstration highlights the need for continued focus and diligence,” Tim Robinson, a Seattle Public Schools spokesman, said in an email. “We will continue to support school leaders in addressing incidents of racial bias and hate; as well as provide guidance on how to support community healing.”

My comment? No comment except another great word salad from SPS.

From the comments at the Times:

Hazel Wolf Parent Racial Equity Committee member:

The tiny second grader with her cat-ears headband spoke softly into the microphone. “ I am Tibetan, and I am an immigrant. At my other school, the kids teased me, and I didn’t like it, because I was Tibetan.” She paused and took a deep breath. “They left me out of their games, and sometimes I would be alone for the whole entire recess.” Her voice shook and tears fell, from her eyes and from many eyes around her.

If you weren’t at the Hazel Wolf (HW) School peaceful protest Friday and only read the Seattle Times article, you wouldn’t have heard this child speak her truth, and you wouldn’t have seen the many students who then gathered around her, to hug her, to thank her, and to tell her they will be her friend and play with her at recess.

That little girl, who we didn’t know was going to speak, is just one of the reasons we held the protest.

If you weren’t at Hazel Wolf School Friday, you didn’t hear the tall young Ethiopian woman in her hijab speaking out on behalf of her brothers who have been victims of racial bullying. She smiled beautifully, and challenged the adults, especially those in authority, to take strong and timely actions to prevent racist bullying. 

Another (stated) parent:

This article gives the impression that the entire HW community condones racism and that “there is a culture of quiet about racism at the school”, which couldn’t be further from the truth. Unfortunate that the poor behavior of one (or a few students) resulted in this group going this route and giving the entire HW community a bad name instead of working with the admin. 

One or a few? I find it hard to believe there are just a few if you have both a second grader and a middle school student complaining.  But, as with most school issues, the truth may lie somewhere in-between.

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