Following current events related to immigration reform, a group of students came to school wearing t-shirts representing national flags from a variety of countries and were bullied by fellow students with a variety of racial and ethnic slurs. How would you respond to both groups? Be sure to cite any applicable case law, school board policies, and state laws to support your answer.

Answer:

Description

At looking at this scenario it is evident that the students from immigration background did provoke other students by wearing a different country flag and ended by getting racially abused by other students as well as being bullied.

I would try to get the safety first. Remove them from talking or acting to each other. Group them separately first and stop from acting further. With a warning denounce them indulging in those acts again. Then I would start the investigation as to what was the root cause of this issue and what all the sequence of events.

As part of the investigation, I would involve others as well and the witness to the whole incidents.

After finding the facts and sequence of events I would try to talk to the students who indulged in bullying acts and racial abuse. I would explain that though on one hand it is not appropriate to wear flag in t-shirts inside school but on other hand it is very wrong on the part of the students to bully and racially abuse the students. I would severely warn the students who are racially abusing by warning them about the HATE SPEECH act/law and that inform that it is illegal to racially abuse peer students and that they would be charged with various counts as per their level of bullying or abusing on racial grounds.

I would also highlight the School board policies against Discrimination and harassment. And the consequences that would arise based on their action against the school board policies.

Now I would call upon the students sporting t-shirts with country flags and at the first move support them, assure action on injustice done to them and ask them to avoid the blame game. I would also explain them the school board policies of dress code and discipline and ask them to avoid these types of provocation and assure them that avoiding these provocations will resolve all conflicts and assume them of full sport on any grounds further.