OCR Takes Action Against Racial Harassment following Snapchat incident at Illinois School District

BEECHER, Ill – U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has taken action to address racial harassment incidents on Snapchat at Beecher Community Unit School District 200U, located near Chicago. To uphold Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, OCR has reached a resolution focusing on preventing and addressing racial harassment among students. It comes after the OCR’s investigation centered on the District’s response to racial harassment during the 2021-22 school year. Instances included sharing Confederate flag images in classroom presentations, a racially offensive Snapchat message sent during school hours, and a white student using a racial slur in an online classroom activity. OCR uncovered further incidents of racial harassment in the 2022-23 school year, including repeated use of racial slurs and instances where white students physically intimidated Black students. The district, primarily consisting of white students, had an enrollment of 1015 students in the 2021-2022 school year. A poll from the time found demographics at the time included: 20% Hispanic/Latino, 3% Black, 73% white, 3% two or more races, and less than 1% other. OCR’s investigation raised concerns about the district’s handling of racially harassing behavior. It found inadequate investigations, failure to consider the cumulative impact
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