BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – A Vermont school district has reached a settlement with the U.S. Justice Department over how officials handled racial harassment between students.
The investigation began in December 2023 and on Wednesday federal authorities concluded that the Elmore-Morristown Unified Union School District did not do enough to protect its students of color from alleged racial harassment. They say black and biracial students, primarily at People’s Academy, endured frequent harassment, including the use of slurs and historically racist imagery against them.
“Racial harassment makes students feel unsafe, deprives them of a supportive educational environment and violates the Constitution’s most basic promise of equal protection,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said in a statement. “In the 21st century, no student should be subjected to racial slurs, Nazi salutes or other racially-charged hostilities. This agreement provides sound strategies for preventing and addressing racial harassment. We look forward to the district demonstrating to its students that racial bullying and harassment have no place in its schools.”