Thanks to one of the Project RACE Board of Directors for supplying the entire story. It is very important that the Department of Justice is considering allegations of racial harassment against a biracial student.
Feds ask for Pine Creek School information
The Department of Justice is investigating allegations of race- and disability-based harassment at Pine Creek School.
In a recent letter to a school official,
the DOJ requested records related to a biracial former student of the
school and some “alleged harassers” there, along with information on a
teacher who recently resigned in relation to bullying concerns. The DOJ
also requested information on the school’s bullying policies.
The Sept. 11 letter is addressed to Pine
Creek School District Board Chairwoman Jane Tecca and Billings-based
attorney Jeff Weldon, who has represented the district during its own
recent investigation of bullying.
The district this spring investigated a
complaint from parent Pamela Goodwine, who alleged her biracial son had
been bullied at the school. Goodwine is employed at the school as a
custodian.
The investigation focused on third-
through fifth-grade teacher Leah Shannon, who was accused of allowing
bullying in her classroom. An outside investigator found that bullying
was systemic at the school, affecting Goodwine’s son and others. As a
result, the district negotiated a paid resignation with Shannon in
August.
The September DOJ inquiry does not say
who filed the race and disability complaint. The department did not
respond by press time to a Thursday morning request for more
information.
The DOJ inquiry also requests correspondences and other information related to Goodwine’s employment at the school.
The letter stresses the inquiry is
preliminary in nature and that it has not determined any violation of
federal law has occurred.
Weldon said Wednesday he expects the
school board’s recent action regarding Goodwine’s complaint — which in
addition to negotiating Shannon’s resignation included revamping some
school policies — will work in the district’s favor during the federal
inquiry.
He said he has seen few federal investigations Montana schools in his career.
“In Montana, just because I think we’re a relatively small state, we don’t see a lot of them,” he said.
Pine Creek Superintendent Shawn Wiencek
on Wednesday raised concerns about the costs to the district of
continuing to deal with an issue she felt the district had resolved.
“It’s beyond my comprehension, at this juncture, how we’ll pay for this,” Wiencek said.
The district paid Shannon $71,000 to
resign, and paid Weldon about $17,000 for his recent work. The small
rural school has an enrollment of 22 students.
Weldon, who the school pays $175 an hour, will oversee the response to the DOJ request.
The DOJ gave the school 30 days to respond to its inquiry.
