Walter L. Currie, Esq.
Further, I understand that the Buncombe County Board of Education approved a
resolution today in which it commits to eliminate permanently from Clyde A.
Erwin High School (the 'School') the use of "squaw" or "squaws* to describe,
depict or symbolize any student group of students, school organization or
athletic team prior to the beginning of the 1999-2000 school year. In
addition, you have represented to us that the Board has committed, and in
fact has begun taking actions, to:
(1) Prior to the beginning of the 1999-2000 school year, eliminate
permanently from the School any and aU uses of American Indian religious
symbols, including those that may be part of any display or depiction,
which an identified as being offensive to or disrespectful of American
Indian culture by the Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (to
"Eastern Bond") or her representative, after a tour of the entire School
facility and grounds, except that the two totem poles currently situated at
the School, and the statue in front of the School, may remain, and
(2) Seek an appropriately qualified education consultant wh will review the
School District's current media center collections and curricula offerings,
and recommend to the Board and the Superintendent additions and/or
modifications that may further the Board's existing policy of respecting
cultural differences and, in particular, may foster among students and
staff a greater understanding of and appreciation for America Indian
history and culture.
It may also be helpful for you to know that we have, consistent with our normal practice
in matters such as this, conferred with officials of the Department of
Education's Office for Civil Rights. They confirm that the standards and
principles we am applying in our review of this case are in line. with their
previous guidance on this issue.
If you have questions about any of the above, please contact Anita Hodgkiss.
Thank you very much for your kind assistance in this matter.
Sincerely,
By Telecopier
Cynthia S. Lopez Esq.
Roberts & Stevens, P.A.
P.O. Box 7647
Asheville, NC 29802
Re: Buncombe County Board of Education
Dear Mr. Currie and Ms. Lopez:
I write pursuant to your request for an expedited review of the information
we have received to date concerning allegations that American Indian students
in the Buncombe County School District are subjected to a racially hostile
environment and that Man children are being denied equal educational
opportunities because of Erwin High School's mascots and activities
associated with the mascots. We have carefully considered the information
you have already provided to us, including your representation that there
have been no other complaints about a racially hostile atmosphere for
American Indian students in the past, the fact that the Buncombe County
school system has never been under a desegregation order, and the various
measures the Board and Superintendent have taken in the past year and a half
in response co converns about the School's mascot. In addition, we have
taken into account certaln matters that were raised during the public
hearing held at Erwin High School last week.
Based on the Board's resolution, your further representations to us
concerning the above actions, and the information we have, we have
determined that the measures specified above constitute apositive and
meaningful response to the written complaint we received. Accordingly, in
view of all the circumstances, we are closing our preliminary inquiry into
allegations of a racially hostile enviroment against and the denial of equal
educational opportunities to American Indian children at Clyde A. Erwin
High school, and will take no further action.
Bill Lann Lee
Acting Assistant
Attorney General
Civil Rights Division