Latino Allegations of Discrimination in Newhall Schools Investigated

The federal Department of Education is investigating allegations that the Newhall Elementary School District discriminates against Latino students and segregates them from their Anglo schoolmates.

The investigation, by the department’s Office for Civil Rights in San Francisco, is in response to a complaint filed by a group of Latino parents and community leaders, said John Palomino, the office’s regional director.

It is the latest development in a more than 3-year-old feud pitting school administrators against the Latino leaders, who maintain that Spanish-speaking students placed in bilingual classes are not receiving educations equal to those of their Anglo classmates--an allegation school administrators emphatically deny.

The district--which serves only kindergartners through sixth graders--has five schools and 3,034 students, of which 425 or 14%, are Latino. Most of the Latino students, 295, attend Newhall Elementary School, making up 44% of the enrollment.

The controversy has included numerous arguments between parents and administrators, the filing of a lawsuit against the district by a teacher’s aide who sided with the Latino group, two state Department of Education investigations into charges lodged by Latinos against the district and an accusation that a principal was prejudiced and mistreated Latino students.

Possible Civil Rights Violations

Federal investigators are looking specifically into possible violation of federal civil rights laws by the district, Palomino said. For example, he said, they will examine a contention made by the Latino group that Spanish-speaking students are inappropriately placed in federally funded special education and migrant education classes. The law prohibits recipients of federal education funds from discriminating against program participants on the basis of race, color, national origin or handicap.

Also under investigation, Palomino said, are allegations that Spanish-speaking students are being promoted without receiving the instruction appropriate for their grade levels and that Spanish-speaking children are segregated from other pupils.

“I’m absolutely convinced the allegations have no substance,” district Supt. J. Michael McGrath said.