Letter to the Editor: Schools continue to violate students’ civil rights

Iowa schools are in violation of both state and national laws when it comes to protecting students from harassment and bullying. Since they count on the majority of parents being unable to research applicable laws, or find an attorney capable of filing a lawsuit, they continue to get away with these civil rights violations.

If you go to the Iowa Department of Education website and do a search for bullying and harassment, one of the laws you will find is Iowa Code 280.28. This defines bullying and harassment. Documentation and witness testimony can bring about a class action lawsuit against any school whose parents organize to hold them accountable for failure to protect students, thus allowing student civil rights to be violated in this way at each school.

Also check the U.S. Department of Education, Every Student Succeeds Act, website for harassment and bullying. You will find that these actions violate student civil rights in being able to safely access education. Schools guilty of failing to protect students from harassment and bullying violate this national law and can be held accountable. A quote from this office says: “Bullying and harassment are harmful to students and the learning environment and are too pervasive in our nation’s schools. (We) work to protect the right of all students to learn in environments free from discriminatory bullying and harassment.”

Since schools have a proven record of failing students with regard to harassment and bullying, it is up to the parents to utilize these state and national laws, outlawing the civil rights violations of students, to file class action lawsuits against their schools. Only by applying this pressure will change occur.

Sue Atkinson

Baxter