MADISON, Wis. — A conservative law group is threatening to sue the Madison Metropolitan School District after Madison West High School recently created two separate Zoom meetings the discuss the Derek Chauvin trial verdict and other current events focusing on police brutality — one for parents of color, and one for white parents.
The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL) sent a letter to MMSD superintendent Dr. Carlton Jenkins Monday afternoon, claiming the practice was a form of racial segregation.
The district issued a statement Monday saying the practice was a part of an “Affinity Group” model, allowing people of similar backgrounds and experiences to be more comfortable talking about the issues, but acknowledging the email to parents was “poorly worded” and that the language used in the note was “less than sensitive.”
WILL claims this is at least the second time in the last year the district has split virtual discussions in this way, citing another discussion in July 2020 that had two separate Zoom meeting links for students of color and white students.
“Obviously, there is nothing improper about discussing racial issues and societal unrest,” WILL wrote in its letter to Jenkins. “But segregation is never beneficial and never benign. MMSD’s professed good intentions do not justify tactics that are plainly harmful, unconstitutional, and, by definition, racist.”
In its letter, WILL compared the district’s reasoning for the separate Zoom meetings to arguments made by segregationists in landmark cases such as Plessy vs. Ferguson and Fisher vs. University of Texas at Austin, specifically arguments during that time period that segregation protected black students from racist classmates and teachers.
WILL asked Jenkins to change the way the district handles those discussions in the future, and says it will closely monitor the situation, hoping for a quick response from the district.
“In your new role as superintendent, which began just a few short months ago, we hope you will take this opportunity to re-dedicate MMSD to the principle of equality and to end all forms of racial segregation immediately,” WILL said in the closing line of its letter to Jenkins.
News 3 Now has reached out to Madison school officials for their response to the letter, but a district spokesperson said he had not yet seen the full letter. The district did provide a follow-up statement from West High School principal Karen Boran that was sent to parents, saying the separate affinity spaces were specifically requested by students, families and staff of color “during previous discussions where they expressed frustration having to justify their experiences and perspectives.”
“While we apologize for any confusion our messaging caused, West will continue to center this necessary anti-racist work around the voices and needs of our students, families and staff members of color,” Boran wrote.
You can read WILL’s full letter to the district below.
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