School District in Washington State Holding Racially Segregated Superintendent Search Meetings for Parents

A Washington school district plans to hold racially segregated meetings for parents and guardians who wish to participate in the search for a new superintendent.

As afternoon radio host Jason Rantz reported at MyNorthwest Wednesday, the Issaquah School District’s (ISD) weekly bulletin for February 7 listed its “upcoming events,” including the following:

• February 15 – Meeting for Parents/Guardians of Color and Parents/Guardians with Students of Color to Give Input About Superintendent Search, 6 p.m., Zoom
• February 17 – Meetings for Parents/Guardians to Give Input About Superintendent Search, 9 a.m., 2 p.m., 6 p.m., Zoom“The intent of the meetings is quite clear,” Rantz wrote, adding:
  

  If you’re a white parent, you ought to skip the first meeting. It’s not for you. You’re the wrong skin color. There’s a caveat if you have a child who is a racial minority. Then, you may attend. Otherwise, all white parents should attend one of the other two meetings.

  Rantz said his show received an email from ISD spokesperson Lesha Engels, who denied the separate meeting “for Parents/Guardians of Color” is an example of racial segregation.

  “All parents are welcome to attend any of the 4 parent meetings, they are not segregated,” Engels emailed the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH. “The district’s intent is to provide multiple opportunities for all members of our community to voice their thoughts.”… (Excerpt from the Virginia Star)