BOISE, Idaho — The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Idaho has filed a complaint with the US Department of Justice Civil Rights, Educational Opportunities Section, on behalf of Latine students impacted by the dress code and discipline policies and practices of the Nampa School District.
The complaint alleges the district is targeting Latine students with vague policies to restrict clothing related to their ethnicity and culture. Included in the complaint the ACLU also referred to an informal "no rosaries policy" that prohibits students from displaying Catholic rosaries and "color contracts" they say are designed to forbid students from wearing a particular color.
In a news release distributed today, Erica Rodarte, legal fellow at the ACLU of Idaho, conveyed that students have received disciplinary consequences without being provided defined guidelines.
"We continue to learn from Latine families about discriminatory policies and practices by the Nampa School District," said Rodarte.
40 percent of the students in the Nampa School District identify as Latine, according to the ACLU.
The complaint comes following an almost year-long investigation resulting from the ACLU publication of "Proud to be Brown: Punishing Latine Culture in Idaho Schools", a report focusing on the disciplinary policies in the Nampa and Caldwell School Districts that allegedly target and discriminate against Latine students.
“Schools should prioritize fostering an environment that celebrates and recognizes - rather than punishes - the culture, ethnicity, and religious identities of Latines and other students of color. Minor dress code violations can build up to expulsions that push out of schools Latine and other students of color who are more likely to be disciplined,” said Sarah Hinger, senior staff attorney in the Racial Justice Program at the American Civil Liberties Union.
Idaho News 6 Christinna Bautista reached out to the Nampa School District for comment and was told they are awaiting advice from legal counsel.
