Editorial: Settlement is a step in the right direction

A racial profiling lawsuit stemming from a Sept. 24, 2010, incident when more than 50 Latino students were rounded up and detained for about an hour in two Hoover High classrooms came to an end this week.

According to the settlement agreement, the city and Glendale Unified will split a $100,000 tab that will go to funds and foundations overseen by the ACLU of Southern California, which prosecuted the litigation.

The students claimed they were intimidated and interrogated by Glendale and Los Angeles police officers about possible gang affiliations and were ordered to stop hanging out with each other at lunch.

Although a school district spokesman said at the time that allegations of profiling were “ridiculous” and the city and police department admitted no wrongdoing in the settlement, it’s a bit hard to believe race had no role in the incident.

Nonetheless, both Glendale Unified and the city of Glendale did receive some words of commendation from the ACLU this week for adopting policies to prevent things like this from happening in the future.

While this was a disturbing incident to the students involved, local officials seem to have taken the right steps in response. That’s good, and we hope they keep it up.