DOJ Concludes Lengthy Probe into Ellensburg School District

The U.S. Justice Department has announced an agreement with Ellensburg schools to resolve a probe into allegations of pervasive harassment and discrimination.

At a school board meeting on Nov. 20, Superintendent Troy Tornow confirmed that an agreement was imminent.

The investigation, conducted jointly by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington, revealed endemic harassment of Black, Latino and LGBTQ+ students, including slurs, taunts and even physical assaults.

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"Black students faced frequent use of the N-word and other racial slurs by their classmates," writes the U.S. Attorney's Office. "Latino students were openly subjected to epithets like 'beaner,' 'wetback' and 'mixed-breed'; and LGBTQ+ students endured widespread, ongoing and severe sex-based harassment by their peers, including gendered slurs, public graffiti and intimidation."

The district's response was perceived by some as inadequate, "leading some [students] to miss class, drop school activities, avoid areas of campus and even transfer or leave school altogether."

The DOJ probe was launched at the outset of the 2023-24 academic year "under Titles IV and VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The department reviewed records from the 2021-22 through 2023-24 school years and interviewed over 100 people, including current and former students, employees and parents." The district was fully compliant with investigators, but its awareness of ongoing harassment was deemed lacking.

Under the new settlement, the district will implement a number of reforms: "Retaining a third-party consultant to support the school district in implementing the agreement and creating a discrimination-free educational environment for all students; designating a district coordinator to oversee the effective resolution of reports of harassment; designating a Spanish-speaking liaison to Latino families to ensure that the school district hears and responds to their complaints; creating a new electronic reporting system to track and manage all reports of harassment and the district’s responses to such reports; [and] updating policies and procedures to ensure the district responds promptly and effectively to all reports of harassment and provides appropriate support services to affected students."

Moreover, all students and faculty will receive training on how to "identify and report harassment."

Also on the agenda are mandatory surveys and listening sessions with students, parents and faculty - implemented as part of an "annual climate assessment." This will help the district "identify and respond to harassment trends and concerns in the school community."