MORRISTOWN, Vt. — A recent settlement agreement has been reached between a Vermont school district and the federal government concerning the district’s failure to adequately address the significant harassment faced by Black and biracial students. This announcement was made by the U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday.
The investigation by the department’s Civil Rights Division, along with the Vermont U.S. attorney’s office, commenced in December 2023. Their review involved examining records and complaints spanning the last three school years. Investigators found that students, particularly in middle school, were subjected to persistent racial slurs and offensive imagery, such as the use of the N-word and the display of symbols associated with the Confederacy and Nazi ideology.
“Racial harassment undermines a student’s sense of safety, impairs educational support, and contravenes the fundamental guarantee of equal protection under the Constitution,” stated Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke. “We are eager to see the district uphold the principle that racial bullying and harassment are unacceptable within its educational settings.”
In response to these findings, Superintendent Ryan Heraty contended that the current situation does not reflect the past claims, citing a significant drop in incidents of harassment. In an email, he noted that after students returned post-pandemic, there was a troubling spike in misconduct at the middle school level. “To address these issues, we have undertaken numerous decisive measures, which the Department of Justice acknowledged during their investigation,” he added.
In a communication to parents and community members earlier this week, Heraty reaffirmed the district’s commitment against any acts of racism and emphasized the importance of swift action regarding reported incidents. He reported that there have been no race-related harassment incidents at the elementary level this academic year and only a very limited number at both middle and high schools.
The Justice Department has praised the district for its full cooperation during the investigation and noted that some improvements have already been initiated. These include the establishment of a centralized system for reporting incidents, a commitment to revise anti-harassment policies and procedures, organization of listening sessions with students, and implementation of formal training and educational programs for both students and staff.
