Kansas college accused of forcing out Black students must reform after DOJ probe

Also: Justice Department Secures Agreement with Kansas Community College to Address Racial Discrimination and Harassment (U.S. Department of Justice)

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Source: Kansas City Star

Kansas college accused of forcing out Black students must reform after DOJ probe

Luke Nozicka
Mon, August 28, 2023 at 6:09 PM EDT·2 min read

A community college in northeast Kansas has reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice following the agency’s investigation into racial discrimination that allegedly forced out Black students.

The agreement requires reforms at Highland Community College, where Black students were allegedly “targeted for searches and surveillance” and were more harshly disciplined than white peers, the Justice Department said Monday.

That unfair discipline reportedly led to the removal of Black students from campus housing or expulsion from the college.

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The then-athletic director was accused of trying to reduce the number of Black athletes at the college, leading to an “unprecedented” number of Black athletes getting expelled. The college’s security singled out Black students for room and car searches, while the administration frequently delivered “excessive sanctions for minor and even bogus infractions,” according to the lawsuit.

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Read more: https://news.yahoo.com/kansas-college-accused-forcing-black-220906709.html

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Source: U.S. Department of Justice

Justice Department Secures Agreement with Kansas Community College to Address Racial Discrimination and Harassment

Monday, August 28, 2023
For Immediate Release
Office of Public Affairs

The Justice Department announced today a settlement agreement with Highland Community College (HCC) in Kansas to resolve the department’s investigation into allegations that Black students, primarily student-athletes, living on HCC’s main campus experienced discriminatory treatment in many aspects of campus life, including discipline, housing and interactions with campus security officers. The complaints alleged that Black students were targeted for searches and surveillance and disciplined more severely than their white peers, resulting in their unfair removal from campus housing or even expulsion.

Under the settlement, the college will improve the fairness and transparency of disciplinary proceedings to prevent such discrimination. The agreement will also strengthen policies, procedures and training on campus security to promote consistent, non-discriminatory interactions between security personnel and students. In addition, the agreement requires HCC to strengthen policies, procedures and training to ensure an effective response to students’ complaints of racial discrimination.

“No college student should have their educational experience marred or disrupted by discrimination based on their race,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Community colleges are an important pathway to four-year institutions and the workforce, and federal law requires that their campuses, programs and activities be equally available to all without regard to race. The Justice Department is committed to protecting the civil rights of college students across the country to pursue a higher education in a safe, welcoming and discrimination-free environment.”

“The U.S. Department of Justice is tasked to serve as a defender of the U.S. Constitution, and the Fourteenth Amendment entitles all persons to equal protection under the law,” said U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher for the District of Kansas. “When educational institutions are making decisions about student discipline, race and ethnicity are never relevant factors. Colleges and universities play a powerful role in shaping the development of young people, so it’s imperative that they help set the standard for creating environments where all students are treated with the same level of respect and fairness.”

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Read more: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-secures-agreement-kansas-community-college-address-racial-discrimination