Discrimination in US schools increases with 19,000 filed complaints

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
1 Jan 21:14
1 Shares

According to the Office for Civil Rights of the US Department of Education, the number of complaints sheds light on an ongoing and growing social problem.

Discrimination in US schools increasing radically (Getty Images)

Nearly 19,000 discrimination complaints were filed with the Office for Civil Rights of the US Department of Education between October 1, 2021, and September 30, 2022. This number stands for more than double the number of complaints filed from the prior year, according to The New York Times.

The nation's weak school system is struggling with the long-term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, which had also unveiled a steep increase in racism. According to authorities, the majority of complaints involve disability, racial, or gender discrimination.

While authorities have confirmed that a report will be released, at a later time, to disclose further details, some incidents have been reported by Axios.

In Iowa, for example, a white student kneeled on a Gatorade bottle in the sight of a Black kid and remarked, "It can't breathe," imitating the police killing of George Floyd.

In Arizona, some white students drew swastikas over students' faces on photographs and made "Heil Hitler" salutes. They even harassed Asian students.

It is worth noting that reforms have been agreed upon in various school districts following discrimination incidents.