7/30/2019 Maupin Letter to Arne Druncan

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Reverend Jarrett B. Maupin, IIPhoenix, AZ

Secretary Arne Duncan May 2nd, 2013United States Secretary of Education400 Maryland Avenue, SW

Washington, D.C. 20202

Dear Secretary Duncan:

This letter comes as a formal request to your office for an immediate inquiry into a recent event at a public schoolin Arizona. The happening has caused some concern in our community, particularly among African-Americanparents and students, a professed important constituency of yours. I will address their primary concerns andhave included some supplemental information that may assist your office in how to approach/address this issue.

The event I write to you about occurred at Queen Creek High School on May 1st, 2013. Queen Creek HighSchool is operated by the Queen Creek Unified School District, located in the town of Queen Creek, AZ. On thedate mentioned, the student body (with the permission of faculty sponsors) celebrated Redneck Day as aschool spirit event in advance of their traditional prom-week festivities. Not surprisingly, this celebration wasoffensive to both parents and students because of the negative racial histories/actions associated with certainsymbols of Redneck culture used to demonstrate school spirit that day. As widely reported in local andnational media, the most prominent and threatening symbol displayed that day was the flag of the ConfederateStates of America, which was worn as a t-shirt by one student and as a sort of hooded cape by another.

Naturally, these symbols coupled with what can best be described as the derogatory lingo associated withRedneck stereo-types, created an environment in which both students or color and of conscience were deeplydisturbed. Many have expressed being made to feel unwelcomed and unsafe on the campus of their own highschool. The experiences of these students of color and the outcry in Arizonas African-American community givecredence to calls for intervention and inquiry into Queen Creek High School and Queen Creek Unified School

Districts practices relating to federally guaranteed protections and policies, many solely enforceableadministratively and monitored by your department.

To date, many parents and student have complained that the Redneck Day event caused what they havedescribed as both a hostile learning environment and racially hostile environment and could potentially lead tomore incidents of insensitivity and cultural/ethnic mockery. Arizona school districts have a history of not takingthese kinds of concerns seriously. Perhaps most notably, this trend of half-hearted commitment to federal policythat protects students from racism and hostility played out in the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in the case ofMonteiro v.The Tempe Union High School District (CV-97-15511). A case in which an Arizona school districtrefused to address, correct, or acknowledge the use of language (in commonly used literature) by white studentsas a weapon of racism against their peers of color.

The case mentioned above cites 3 facts:

1. The Department of Education is the agency charged by Congress with enforcing Title VI of theCivil Rights Act of 1964. As such, its interpretation is entitled to a high degree of deference bythe courts so long as it does not conflict with a clearly expressed congressional intent and it isreasonable.

2. The Department of Education defines a racially hostile environment as one in which racialharassment is severe, pervasive or persistent so as to interfere with or limit the ability of an

7/30/2019 Maupin Letter to Arne Druncan

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Secretary Arne Duncan, U.S. Department of EducationMay 2, 2013Page 2 of 2

individual to participate in or benefit from the services, activities orprivileges provided by therecipient.

3. The Department of Education asserts that a school district violates Title VI of the Civil RightsAct of 1964 when (1) there is a racially hostile environment; (2) the district had notice of theproblem; and (3) it failed to respond adequately to redress the racially hostile environment.

Mr. Secretary, I highlighted the wordsactivities andprivileges because I felt they best described schoolsponsored and administratively approved festivities. Unfortunately for children of color in the Queen CreekUnified School District, this can mean Redneck Day or any other poorly conceived spirit activity orcostume privilege and or celebration that clearly incorporates imagery and language that is, quite frankly,unquestionably and historically offensive.

It is clear that, as a nation, we have a long way to go on our journey to create positive environments in our publicschools and institutions, particularly around issues or race and culture. Many in my community, unfortunately,were not surprised by the execution and inception of this event. What they are keenly aware of though, is thefact that the Queen Creek Unified School District is a recipient of federal dollars which would allow your office to

make an inquiry regarding this situation and to work with the district on a plan to address what did occur and howthey might prevent such incidents in the future.

The request for intervention and or monitoring of this situation by your office is sincere. The Queen Creek UnifiedSchool District covers a very troubled area in our state. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, hategroups in the neighboring counties of Pinal and Maricopa are growing. The district/town of Queen Creek iscommon ground for these two counties. That means our youth there are exposed to such hate groups as theEast Valley Skins, U.S. Border Rangers, American Third Position, Free American, Vinlanders Arizona, and theWAR Skins. Hate is present in Arizona and the symbols and language used at this regrettable school sponsoredactivity are also frequently used to represent the listed white pride/power groups intent on keeping races apartor perpetrating acts of violence against people of different ethnicities and faiths.

Lastly, our State Attorney General and Superintendent of Public Instruction have declared war on ethnic

studies, that is the histories of people of color. They feel students should not be subjected to the teaching ofhistories that may make them feel uncomfortable or invoke feelings or anger or outrage at historical Americaninjustices. To many, including myself, this war on truth is in itself prejudice. My point is if these two are soconcerned about the possibility of school activities and programs insulting students along racial and cultural lines,you should have two powerful and committed allies ready to join you in calling for the kinds of reforms andcultural sensitivity training needed to avoid future incidences like these from happening at/in any Arizona publicschool. Im sure this terrible Redneck Day idea meets their criteria, unless students of color un-insultable.

I know you celebrate free speech, we all do. We should also defend it. But incidents like these come close to ifnot beyond the line of infringing upon the rights of others which, thankfully, includes the right to a racism-free andsymbols-of-racism-free learning environment. I thank you in advance for your attention to this letter and review ofthis matter. I look forward to a response from you and your department.

In Progress,

Rev. Jarrett B. Maupin, II