Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) denounces hate speech and violence in schools. Immediately after learning of an incident involving students at a San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) school, we have been directly coordinating with the SFUSD African American Achievement and Leadership Initiative (AAALI) and both Black-led and Asian-led community based organizations to ensure that all affected students and families receive the support they need.
Every student deserves to learn in an environment free from hate, violence, and intimidation. No person—students or adults-–should ever use racial slurs, dehumanizing language, anti-Black dogwhistles, or physical violence.
SFUSD has the ultimate responsibility to keep students safe and to address racial harassment and discrimination in our schools. We have reiterated to SFUSD that federal and state civil rights laws protect students from discrimination and harassment based on their race, disability, or other protected characteristics. Verbal harassment and physical violence based on a protected characteristic may violate federal and state civil rights laws, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and California Education Code Sections 200-220. These laws protect students who have a right to participate in and benefit from public education without being subject to discrimination or harassment.
Under Title VI, SFUSD is legally required to address a hostile school environment when race is involved, which includes taking action that is reasonably calculated to end the harassment, address its effects, and prevent the harassment from happening again. These actions must be prompt and effective. We appreciate the steps AAALI and community partners are taking to ensure that all students, regardless of their race, are safe from harassment and discrimination. We further acknowledge SFUSD’s commitment to growing its Office of Equity, which investigates Title VI and other civil rights complaints throughout the district.
CAA is committed to working alongside leaders from the Black community and other community partners to unite around solutions that protect students, address racial harm, and build trust in our multiracial city. At a recent cross-racial convening, we collectively discussed ideas such as ethnic studies lessons and field trips that draw on the history of Black and Asian solidarity in San Francisco and nationwide. As an Asian American-serving organization, CAA understands and accepts the responsibility to educate our own community as to this history.
Every child deserves and is legally entitled to a safe learning environment regardless of their race or background. CAA believes that accountability and solidarity must go hand in hand.
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Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) was founded in 1969 to protect the civil and political rights of Chinese Americans and to advance multiracial democracy in the United States. Today, CAA is a progressive voice in and on behalf of the broader Asian American and Pacific Islander community. We advocate for systemic change that protects immigrant rights, promotes language diversity, and remedies racial and social injustice. You can learn more about us at caasf.org.