Students walk out to protest racism and sexism, later allege retaliation from school

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Students at River Ridge High School engaged in a weeklong walkout, alleging that the district and school had a culture of racism and sexism. Students and teachers reached an agreement to end the protest, but students claim the school failed to fulfill its end of the bargain.  

Key Players

River Ridge High School (RRHS) serves 1,500 students from the Olympia and Lacey areas of western Washington state. 

The Black Student Union (BSU), a student advocacy group at RRHS, organized the walkout after racist jeering at a basketball game. 

Debra Clemens, the superintendent of North Thurston Public Schools, helped put an end to the protests.

Further Details

Located about 30 miles southwest of Tacoma, Olympia, the state capital, leans somewhat liberal. 

On Jan. 14, 2022, at a basketball game against Capital High School, students taunted a Black RRHS athlete with racial slurs and gorilla noises, KIRO 7 reported. An online video of the incident went viral at the school. Afterward, BSU members posted flyers throughout the school, advocating for a “student strike” against what they felt was a culture of racism and sexism throughout the district and school. 

Senior student Laila Markland, one of the leaders of the protest, stated to KUOW that in the school “there are reading, ’riting, and ’rithmetic — and then there are what they call the ‘silent Rs:’ Racism and rape culture.” Markland said the goal of the protest was to “bring those silent Rs to light and try and get some solutions.” 

On Jan. 31, 2022, at least 100 students walked out of class. The demonstration lasted for a week. On Feb. 3, the school had an active shooter threat that forced students and faculty into lockdown, suspending classes for the rest of the day, The Olympian reported. 

The threat was a hoax, but it served as a pivot point for school officials. The next day, Clemens and the district forbade any further protests, starting the following Monday.

The district said the protests had “become disruptive to the work and learning environment of staff and students,” claiming that disruptions had particularly affected students who needed special education resources. However, the district promised to address student complaints around racism and sexism within the week.

Many students continued to protest. Several called for certain demands to be met before returning to class, such as no disciplinary action, academic accommodation for missed work, policy changes in the student handbook to create harsher punishments for sexual harrasment and assault, and a requirement for teachers to undergo equity and sexual assault training, KUOW reported. Students alleged that RRHS agreed to those conditions, which succeeded in getting students back in class.   

Outcome 

BSU says school reneged on agreement, threatens lawsuit 

The students claimed that RRHS failed to establish new processes to handle racism and sexual harassment, according to The Olympian. Students also claimed that the school reneged on its promise not to punish students academically. Reportedly, many students received failing grades, and teachers refused to provide the promised academic leniency. 

In response, the BSU threatened a class action lawsuit against the district. 

Teachers push back against singling out of special education students 

A group of teachers responded to the fact that the district had cited special education students in its response to the protests, writing that the district contributed “to a culture of division between students and staff” by calling out a specific group of students, The Olympian reported. 

The letter prompted the district to post a revised statement on Feb. 17, 2022, citing a general disruption to students without mentioning any particular groups.