JAMES WALSH
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
 |
On Tuesday, federal officials announced a settlement with the Owatonna schools, saying that the district and Superintendent Tom Tapper "took affirmative steps to address the harassment and disproportionate discipline of Somali-American students, and voluntarily entered into the settlement agreement."
The settlement stems from a complaint about incidents that culminated in November 2009, when 11 white and Somali students fought at the school. The investigation found that the district "meted out disproportionate discipline for the students involved in the
Said Tapper: "We have been working with the department [of Education] for the past 17 months. ... They have done a very thorough review of ... our policies and procedures and practices and enrollments. We have an agreement which I think will help to make us better."
Federal officials began their investigation after the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) raised concerns about incidents in Owatonna and elsewhere that it characterized as "anti-Muslim."
"We hope this will stop the harassment students have been facing in the school and create a safe learning environment for all students," said A. Lori Saroya, president of CAIR-Minnesota.
Source: Star Tribune