White Teachers Circle the Wagons

Principal Ed Roos and Seattle Public Schools are being sued for allegedly putting a young black student in a cage, among other mistreatments.  When asked to make statements, some white teachers who worked at View Ridge Elementary at the time have declined to talk about what went on.  They refuse to respond to phone calls and one even had the school district’s attorney – who does not represent her – call Plaintiff’s attorney to inform them that they won’t talk short of a subpoena.

I have always heard that teachers love our kids.  It makes me wonder whether that is true, when a number of teachers did not loudly complain when the child was put in a cage at school. Could it be that white teachers at View Ridge had a bias against the boy put in a cage because he was a person of color? This is exactly why parents like Keosha Williams have had to look to the courts for redress.

Children have the right to a free education. This right encompasses more than simply the opportunity to attend school. Children must be provided with a safe environment for learning that is free of harassment, bullying and discrimination. Unfortunately, that did not always happen at View Ridge Elementary School.