The ACLU recently settled this lawsuit, which alleged discrimination against Native American students in a mostly-white school district in South Dakota. The ACLU is now working with the community and the defendant school district to implement changes in the district's schools.
In March of 2006, the ACLU's Racial Justice
Program, ACLU of the
Dakotas and Attorney General of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe filed a
complaint in federal district court on behalf of Native American
families with children in South Dakota's majority-white Winner School District.
The class action lawsuit claimed that the schools discriminated against Native
American students in disciplining them, were hostile toward Native
American families, and took statements from students involved in
disciplinary matters that were later used to prosecute them in juvenile
and criminal courts.
The Winner/Ideal Native American community
and the Winner School District announced on June 18, 2007, that an
agreement has been reached the lawsuit. Under the settlement agreement, which was approved by a federal court in December of 2007, the district will enact policies and practices to ensure
that the rights of Native American students are not violated and to
enrich the educational experience of all students. The settlement is a
major victory for the Winner/Ideal Native American community, and for
the community at large. The ACLU is now working with school officials, educational experts and the tribal community to achieve these goals.
Read more about the details of the settlement >>
Media Coverage
>
"Graduating to Prisons: Native Americans Sue School District,"
The Progressive
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