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Prince William County Public Schools recently reached an agreement with the federal Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, the school division announced, following the conclusion of the department’s investigation of racially discriminatory incidents at Brentsville District High School in 2019.
It is not clear what specifically occurred in the incidents at the center of the investigation or what terms were spelled out between the civil rights office and the school system.
The school division declined to provide details about the resolution agreement, which is not yet publicly available on the Office of Civil Rights’ website. Attempts to reach the civil rights office were not immediately successful.
To address the findings from the federal government, the school division said it is implementing a comprehensive plan both at Brentsville High School and across the division. The plan, according to a school division news release, includes:
Immediate training: All staff at the school will participate in mandatory training focused on cultural competency, anti-racism and creating inclusive classroom environments
Policy revision: The division will review and revise its division policies to ensure they are robust and effective in preventing and addressing racial and other forms of discrimination and harassment.
Student training: Upon approval from the civil rights office of the revised policies, students at Brentsville District High School will receive training on racial sensitivity, discrimination laws and how to foster an inclusive school environment.
Support services: The division will provide additional support services for students affected by discrimination and harassment, including counseling and support groups.
Employee training: Upon approval of the division’s revised school policies from the civil rights office, all employees will receive training on discrimination and harassment laws and how to foster an inclusive school environment. Site-based administrators will receive additional training on how to handle and remedy reports of discrimination and harassment in schools
The school division stated in the release the Office of Civil Rights’ findings “are a call to action” for the division to reflect on school culture and to “work together to create an environment that is welcoming, inclusive and respectful of every student and staff member.”
“We recognize the impact that such an environment can have on the well-being and academic success of our students and we apologize to anyone who has experienced discrimination in our schools,” the division said in the release.
