Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced he has launched an investigation into Hazelwood School District after a student was assaulted by another student in broad daylight during school hours. The investigation will focus on how the school district’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs contributed to the incident.
“I am launching an investigation into Hazelwood School District after a student was senselessly assaulted by another student in broad daylight,” said Attorney General Bailey. “The entire community deserves answers on how Hazelwood’s radical DEI programs resulted in such despicable safety failures that has resulted in a student fighting for her life. There must be accountability.”
In the investigative demand, Attorney General Bailey notes:
“I am disturbed that it appears Hazelwood School District (‘HSD’) has ignored long-standing Missouri law and elevated political narrative above student safety. In 2020, the HSD Board of Education adopted a ‘Statement of Solidarity’ compelling the district to, among other things: categorize and treat students differently based on race; ‘recruit, hire and promote’ staff based on race; and ‘reevaluate’ the district’s relationship with local police. Beginning with the 2021 school year, after unsuccessfully trying to subject its school resource officers (‘SROs’) to the district’s diversity, equity and inclusion programing, Hazelwood removed uniformed police officers from its schools. To date, SROs are still not present in Hazelwood East schools.
“Two weeks ago, on March 11, 2024, during the middle of the school day, a Hazelwood East High School student, Kaylee Gain, was viciously assaulted on a street near school property by another student. As of this writing, Ms. Gain remains in critical condition in a St. Louis area hospital. Notably, during the attack on Ms. Gain, which was captured on video by other students, not a single school resource officer was on the scene to protect Ms. Gain or restore order. The absence of SROs on the scene is directly attributable to Hazelwood’s insistence on prioritizing race-based policies over basic student safety. By its actions, HSD has endangered not only Ms. Gain, but the general school community writ large.”
He reminds the district that, “The Missouri Human Rights Act (‘the Act’ or ‘MHRA’) guarantees every Missouri resident the right to be free from discrimination and the right to full enjoyment of places of public accommodation. The Act also vests the Missouri Attorney General’s Office with enforcement authority where, as here, the attorney general has reasonable cause to believe a violation of the Act has occurred implicating a matter of public importance.”
Original source can be found here.