Special to the AmNews
Tuesday, education activist group Families for Excellent Schools, supported by public school parents, filed civil rights complaints against the New York City Department of Education with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, the New York State Attorney General, and the New York City Department of Investigation.
In a press release, the group’s members stated that they “hold the de Blasio administration accountable for failing to address the rampant school violence that disproportionately impacts Black, Hispanic and special needs students across the city and deprives them of their legally protected right to a safe learning environment.”
Eleven student plaintiffs and their legal guardians filed the original complaint in April. Since then, the number has grown to 24 plaintiffs.
Toya Holness, a spokesperson for New York City Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña, said, “Crime in schools is down 29 percent, and we’re continuing to implementing restorative practices, adding more guidance counselors and social workers, and providing additional mental health supports to schools. The bottom line is even one incident is one incident too many, and we’ll continue to work tirelessly to ensure every school is safe.”
In March, parents came together to create the #SafeSchoolsNow campaign, which demanded that the DOE and Mayor de Blasio maintain transparency and hold themselves accountable for school violence. More than 27,000 people have joined this movement.