CROSWELL — After dramatic comments by Cros-Lex students and parents concerning alleged discrimination and bullying, the Croswell-Lexington Board of Education voted to reaffirm their resolution against unlawful discrimination and harassment.
The desire to reaffirm the resolution arose after April Malick and her husband Rob, Cros-Lex parents, brought concerns about alleged racism and discrimination in the school directed at their daughter.
The Cros-Lex High School is 89 percent white, 7.5 percent Hispanic, four percent African American or Black, 4 percent Asian and 2.3 percent identify as multiple races.
Before the regularly scheduled school board meeting on Nov. 15, officials sent out a press release regarding the impending resolution.
In the press release, Katie Gordon, Board President, said, “We found it necessary to act as a Board on this issue because, since the return to the classroom post-COVID, schools across the state, including Croswell-Lexington, have seen an uptick in certain behaviors, including conduct that could be construed as unlawful discriminatory conduct on the part of some students and other stakeholders.
“While we have always taken a strong stance against discrimination and harassment of any and all unlawful types, we think it important to reiterate this particular policy given some recent occurrences here and statewide.”
The press release further stated the resolution was developed with the help of the school district’s legal team after consultation with a representative of the Port Huron area branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
April Malick was the first to make public comment to the board. Malick stated that she had stood before the school board three years ago, asking for a change in school policies regarding racism, after her daughter, who is black was allegedly assaulted at the middle school.
According to a Croswell police report, the incident Malick referenced occurred in September 2019. The report details that the school principal, Bethany Davis, requested an officer to review surveillance footage from the school lunchroom.
Officer Erick Wurmlinger, who responded to the incident, reported that the video footage revealed Malick’s daughter and another girl were talking in the lunchroom. The report states the girl pushed Malick’s daughter twice before Malick’s daughter walked away.
The Malicks did not choose to press charges.
Malick also listed examples of comments made to her daughter, including being told that she should return to the plantation to pick cotton and told that another student would “snatch her weave and set it on fire.”
“Racism is a virus that is embedded in the veins of the students and the people in this town,” Malick said as she concluded her statements.
She then introduced Cros-Lex students who had decided to speak about their experiences.
Malick’s daughter, whose parents requested that she not be named, is a 14-year-old freshman at Cros-Lex High School.
“I have a really hard time here since middle school,” the 14-year-old said, “but this year has truly been the worst. “(Comments) from ‘go back to the cotton field’ to ‘I want to burn your weave’ and saying the n-word like it’s a joke. And these students get little to no consequences.”
Malick’s daughter further said she wanted the school to adopt a stronger policy against discrimination.
“I want my fellow classmates to be able to walk into school without being discriminated against because of their sexuality, sexual orientation, the color of their skin or ethnicity or even their religion,” the daughter stated.
Maddison Greenway, another Cros-Lex student, addressed the board as well, providing examples of behavior she considered to be discriminatory including comments and jokes made in class that day regarding the Holocaust.
Greenway concluded, “I’ve had multiple problems with the same people, the same names, the same families, they all repeat the same things.”
Another Cros-Lex freshman addressed the board, stating that she and her friends frequently overheard or were the recipient of homophobic, racist and ableist comments.
The student recounted a time when she reported some of these comments to the school office. She stated that the office called her in to let her know that they would handle the situation.
The freshman concluded her statements saying, “I feel like everyone needs to learn that racism does go around the school. Homophobia goes around the school. Ableism goes around the school.”
A student, Savannah, spoke to the board regarding her treatment at the school since a spinal cord injury which resulted in her using a wheelchair.
Savannah recounted to the board that her peers made fun of her inability to walk which she stated affected her already present depression.
“Their words caused me to self-harm and eventually led to me attempting to end my life,” Savannah said.
After the students had finished speaking, Kevin Watkins, the president of the Port Huron NAACP, spoke to the board, repeatedly saying, “I come here in peace. I mean you no harm, no malice, no hurt.”
Watkins has been working with the Malicks for about a month regarding the alleged discrimination and racism at Cros-Lex.
“I’m telling you right now, and I hate to bring bad news, this district’s in trouble,” Watkins said.
Watkins explained that the Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) and the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) had been contacted regarding the alleged discrimination and racism in Cros-Lex.
Watkins stated that while the Port Huron NAACP is currently working alongside the district to resolve the issues, the MDCR could become involved.
“There’s a problem here in Cros-Lex,” Watkins said, “and I’m sure you’re not alone, but you know there’s always some municipalities that are made an example of.”
Watkins said the resolution the board planned to reaffirm that night was a good place to start, but he felt that the school board had policies that were “just there” and needed more action.
Watkins said, “You need sensitivity training, starting in middle school, but definitely in the high school. What you need more. . . is sensitivity training, diversity equity inclusion training. . . with the staff. And even the board of education.”
Watkins further stated that the sensitivity training needed to be led by someone from the MDCR or “someone who knows this, has masters and PhDs in this.”
Watkins admonished the board saying that they knew what was going on in their district because it is the superintendent’s responsibility to report to the board.
“And if he’s not telling you, then he needs to go,” Watkins said. “If the principals are not doing their job, they need to go. If the staff is not doing their job, regardless of teachers’ unions, they need to go.”
Watkins concluded, “There’s people with long arms, with unlimited resources, that’s looking at you. Look in that mirror and make a change, if not there’s going to be a problem here in this district.”
Another Cros-Lex parent who did not give her name, addressed the board regarding discrimination her bi-racial children have been facing at school.
The mother said she and her husband try to teach their children to “rise above” comments, but have noticed an increase in incidents at the school.
“For the past few months, the frequency and severity of the comments my kids have personally endured have escalated and in a few instances tested the maturity, emotional well-being and resilience of my kids,” she said.
The parent explained that one of her children now experiences issues with mental health.
“I will not label our district or our community as a whole as racist,” she said, “that’s a very powerful word and we refuse to see ourselves as victims and those expressing those archaic comments are not the majority.”
The parent asked the board and the audience to work together as a school and a community to find a solution in order to provide a safe, positive space for children to be educated.
Stephanie Davis, a Cros-Lex High School special education teacher, spoke in defense of the teachers and administration.
Davis, a Hispanic, told the audience that she had been the recipient of negative comments while living in Croswell and admitted that it can be “difficult sometimes being a minority in a rural community that can’t necessarily identify with you.”
Davis emphasized that while teachers and administration could try to do better at the school, she and others cared about the students.
“I work with some really, really good administrators who love kids just as much as I do and they’re not even theirs,” Davis said.
Melody Day, a Cros-Lex parent, recounted stories her daughter had told her about comments made by a teacher in the classroom. Though Day had not reported the comments previously, she said that she felt she should bring it to the board now.
“There’s a civics teacher at high school,” she said, “who for example was saying that the Black Lives Matter marches were riots.”
Day went on to say the teacher also asked students what each political party believed about abortion, which Day said resulted in her daughter being called a murderer by other students. She also stated that the teacher had allegedly made sexist jokes when discussing feminism.
Day said to the board, “Don’t tell me that you don’t know that he’s saying those things. You know. And you’re complicit when you don’t act.”
After the conclusion of public comments, the board amended the agenda to schedule the vote on the resolution at the top of the agenda.
Gordon read the resolution out loud before asking for discussion and a vote. There was no discussion and the board unanimously approved the resolution.
After the meeting, Gordon commented on the issues raised at the meeting.
“The policy attached to Monday’s resolution is not a new one at Cros-Lex, nor is the concept that discrimination will not be tolerated,” said Gordon.
“We investigate issues as they are reported to us. Any issues that may have occurred in the past, including the ones raised at public comment on Monday, will be investigated.”
When asked about Day’s accusations made regarding a high school civics teacher, Gordon said, “We are investigating all of the concerns raised at Monday’s meeting, many of which were shared for the first time. At this point, out of respect for the due process rights of all involved, it is premature to comment.”
Gordon encouraged individuals who are aware of potentially unlawful discrimination to report the incidents to Donna Barrier, Cros-Lex Human Resources representative, or Keith Bishop, Cros-Lex Chief Financial Officer.
Gordon stated that she felt the board meeting was successful and feels that “we can only move forward in a positive direction.”
Dan Gilbertson, Cros-Lex Superintendent, also commented after the meeting.
“Croswell-Lexington Community Schools has always, as far back as I can recall, had an anti-discrimination policy,” said Gilbertson. “In the unusual situation where issues of harassment or discrimination have arisen, we have promptly investigated the matter and taken appropriate action. We cannot discuss specific student issues, of course, but the policy re-iterated by the resolution is not significantly different from what we have always enforced.”
Gilbertson further stated that the administration investigates all potentially discriminatory conduct when it is brought to their attention.
“Any issues that may have occurred in the past, including the ones raised at public comment on Monday, will be investigated,” Gilbertson said.
Since the board meeting, Malick said her daughter has said she is experiencing an increase in racism and bullying.
Malick said that she wishes for two outcomes from the board meeting: that the board will more strictly follow their current bullying and harassment policy and that the district will implement sensitivity and inclusion training for staff and students.
Malick said she wants these changes “not just for my daughter but for all kids.”
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