Thread: Californian Student, To Sue School District For Teacher's Ra

Mexican is the Nationality of the country of MEXICO, not a race.

As long as the courts continue to allow MALDEF to claim these frivolous suits this will continue.


Coral Aviles, Californian Student, To Sue School District For Teacher's Racist Comments



First Posted: 7/21/11 07:19 PM ET Updated: 7/21/11 08:24 PM ET

Southern California student Coral Aviles will sue her school district for racist remarks made by her teacher, reports CBS Los Angeles.

Aviles says the incident occurred last year. She describes what happened in a statement released by MALDEF:

"Last year, during the World Cup I wore a 'Mexico' soccer jersey to school. I walked into my performing arts class, and my teacher asked me in front of the class if I was Mexican. I responded 'yes.' She then asked me in a loud voice: what was I doing in her country? She said that it was because of people like me that she had to pay high taxes and high insurance rates. I tried to speak with the principal about it. When I returned, the teacher asked me to leave the classroom because I was crying so much. I never expected to be treated so badly because of who I am."
Nancy Ramirez, the lawyer on the case, spoke to the HuffPost about the incident. She said that Aviles spent the next day picking up trash with the custodian during that period because she was too distraught to face her teacher. On the third and final day of school, the Bear Valley Middle School principal asked the teacher to apologize to the whole class. Aviles spent that period with the yearbook committee, even though she does not belong to it.

Ramirez, who has been working closely with Aviles, says, "the family has indicated that there was a lot of racism in the community, but they just never expected it to come out in the school house." In the press release, Aviles' mother claims that all of her queries to the school administration have gone unanswered.

The lawsuit (PDF), which was filed with the help of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), alleges that the teacher and the Bear Valley Unified School District violated Aviles' civil rights by discriminating against her on the basis of national origin in a place of public accommodation. The suit also alleges that the district was negligent in its handling of the incident, which caused emotional distress to Aviles.

Through the lawsuit, Aviles and MALDEF hope that the school district can take steps against this happening again, and to have a better plan in place in case it does. They are also seeking unspecified damages for Aviles.

Ramirez confirms that the teacher in question is still teaching at the school. A representative for the Bear Valley Unified School District could not be reached for comment.



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/2 ... 3%7C219692

Related story:

School district slapped with racial discrimination lawsuit

By JUDI BOWERS Reporter | Posted: Thursday, July 21, 2011 5:40 pm

Bear Valley Unified School District, the school board, a teacher, principal and interim superintendent of schools have been named in a federal law suit. The suit charges that the defendants violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the equal protection clause of the 14 Amendment.

The suit was filed July 20 in U.S. District Court by MALDEF on behalf of Coral Alives. The Latina student claims she was harassed publicly and suffered racial discrimination in 2010 by a teacher at Big Bear Middle School. MALDEF is the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

During a press conference July 21, the student, her mother and representatives of MALDEF talked about the suit and the environment for racial discrimination in the country today.

Coral says she wore a Mexico T-shirt to school during the final days of the school year in June 2010 to show her support for Mexico playing in the World Cup soccer tournament. She said her teacher, Suzy Carpenter, after asking her if she was Mexican, asked Coral what the girl was doing in her country. Coral claims Carpenter said it was because of people like her (Coral) that she had to pay high taxes.

The incident sent Coral to then-principal Julie Chamberlin’s office. The matter was not resolved entirely, according to the suit. The girl didn’t return to the classroom for the remainder of the school year, instead she spent one day with the custodian picking up trash and another in the yearbook staff class. Her mother, Diana Aviles, said her daughter was deprived of education and that her daughter continues to suffer as a result of the actions by the school officials.

In addition to the district,, board members, Carpenter and Chamberlin, former interim superintendent Kegham Tashjian was named as a defendant in the suit.

Chamberlin is involved in her own battles with the school board after being involuntarily re-assigned to a teaching position at the end of the 2011 school year. She claims the district did not follow proper protocol or procedure in removing her as principal of Big Bear Middle School. She is scheduled to meet with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Friday, July 22, a step necessary before she can seek legal action.

According to Chamberlin, she has been assigned to teach fifth-grade at North Shore Elementary School, which she claims is a hostile work environment. Chamberlin declined to say who or what creates the hostile environment, but said those involved are not staff members.

The Grizzly contacted Chamberlin for a comment on the federal law suit, but she said all requests must be directed to the school district office. She did say she has not been served, but understands that she is personally named. The Los Angeles Times reached her before the direction by the school district’s attorney, and Chamberlin told the reporter that she disputes Aviles’ account of the incident. Chamberlin states in the Los Angeles Times account that she investigated the matter after the it was reported and found that Carpenter didn’t say what the lawsuit alleges.

“It’s unfortunate, it’s been over a year,â€

Another related story:

Lawsuit accuses teacher of ethnic remark against Big Bear Middle School student
A lawsuit on behalf of a Latina student at Big Bear Middle School says a teacher humiliated the girl and inhibited her education by making an anti-Mexican remark.

By Rick Rojas

July 22, 2011
A lawsuit has been filed against the Bear Valley Unified School District on behalf of a Latina middle-school student who accuses her teacher of making remarks about her ethnicity that, she said, humiliated her and inhibited her education.

The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund filed the lawsuit Wednesday.

It says Coral Aviles, 13, was harassed by a Big Bear Middle School teacher because she is Mexican and alleges the district didn't do enough to respond.

Bear Valley school district officials declined to comment on Thursday, saying they hadn't been served with the lawsuit. The defendants include the teacher, Suzy Carpenter; the district; its board of trustees; Kegham Tashjian, the then-interim superintendent; and then-Big Bear Middle School Principal Julie Chamberlin.

Nancy Ramirez, Western regional counsel for MALDEF and Coral's attorney, said the teacher later apologized in front of the class. But Ramirez called the response "completely inadequate."

In June 2010, the suit says, the teacher asked Coral if she was Mexican after the girl entered a performing arts class wearing a soccer jersey with "Mexico" on it. The girl replied that she was.

"Why are you here? Why are you in my country?" Carpenter asked Coral, according to the lawsuit. "Because this is my country. And because of people like you, I pay high taxes, and because of people like you, my insurance is sky high."

Coral fled the room crying. She went to the principal's office and later returned to class. She continued crying, and Carpenter told her to leave, the suit alleges.

The next day, Coral said, she spent the class period helping the custodian pick up trash.

"When I learned she spent her class period picking up trash, when she should have been learning," said her mother, Diana Aviles, who started to cry, "I was outraged."

The girl, who ultimately changed classes, said at a news conference Thursday that the experience left her feeling "hurt and humiliated."

Chamberlin, who was removed as principal and will become a fifth-grade teacher in August, disputes Coral's account. She said she investigated the situation and found that Carpenter didn't say what the lawsuit alleges. And according to Chamberlin's recollection, Coral wasn't wearing the shirt on the day mentioned.

Carpenter could not be reached for comment Thursday.

rick.rojas@latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me ... ?track=rss

Teen To Sue District For Teacher’s Reaction To Mexico Soccer Jersey
(VIDEO AT SOURCE LINK)
July 21, 2011 2:49 PM

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — A middle-school student who says she was offended by remarks her teacher made after she wore a Mexico soccer shirt to class is planning to file a lawsuit against her school district, a Latino rights group announced Thursday.

The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund said it has filed paperwork in Los Angeles federal court to allow Coral Aviles, now 14, to sue the Bear Valley Unified School District in San Bernardino County.

Aviles said the comments began after she showed up for school during the World Cup games last year wearing a Mexico soccer jersey. She said her performing arts teacher asked whether she was Mexican.

When she answered yes, Aviles said, the teacher responded that “because of people like you, I pay high taxes, and because of people like you, my insurance is sky high,â€

So I can sue a mexican teacher if she calls me stupid American?

This girl and her handlers see "KA-CHING" and stupid us, we make it sooo easy for lawsuits like this to happen!

During a World Cup kids wear jerseys from different countries, so the teacher was out of line on that point, it's the World Cup for goodness sake.

The teacher wasn't lying when she said the other things, she's frustrated and it's a fact that most illegal aliens here are mexican.

The behaviour of the mexican fans during the USA-Mexico match was a big "EFF YOU" to all of us who value the rule of law. It was crass, low-class and indicative of people who have no moral values.

Something tells me there is way more to this story than is being told and that the parents are out for monetary gain. I predict this child will be exploited big time. Why would her parents even think of throwing her into the limelight like this? This is child abuse and the child should have remained anonymous.

Yeah im glad the teacher said that. Im tired of those mexican jerseys.

Originally Posted by miguelina

So I can sue a mexican teacher if she calls me stupid American?

This girl and her handlers see "KA-CHING" and stupid us, we make it sooo easy for lawsuits like this to happen!

During a World Cup kids wear jerseys from different countries, so the teacher was out of line on that point, it's the World Cup for goodness sake.

The teacher wasn't lying when she said the other things, she's frustrated and it's a fact that most illegal aliens here are mexican.

The behaviour of the mexican fans during the USA-Mexico match was a big "EFF YOU" to all of us who value the rule of law. It was crass, low-class and indicative of people who have no moral values.

It is Ka-Ching in more ways then one.Not only are they going to want money but also the Grand Prize of all Citizenship because they are the poor victims of racism .That is what this is really all about imo.

The teacher was right. Unfortunately, this "mexican" and her family will exploit the remarks to their full economic advantage. The school district will roll over and compensate this family without a fight. Count on that!

On a side note, if they love mexico so much, they are free to leave anytime they like!