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Published: Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Racial tension returns
Handling of fight at Everett High upsets Hispanic parents

By Melissa Slager and Diana Hefley
Herald Writers

EVERETT - Parents of Hispanic students are raising concerns about racial tensions at Everett High School, less than a year after high-profile student complaints about discrimination.

The families are unhappy with how Everett police and school staff handled a March 6 fight between two Hispanic girls shortly after classes were dismissed.

After warnings to disperse, seven students were arrested and 13 were suspended. Most of them are Hispanic. Among them was an 18-year-old male student who allegedly shoved a female police officer to the ground.

Parents say Hispanic teenagers were unfairly targeted, and that school and police officials went too far. They say the situation is the result of long-standing tensions at the high school.

"The school has allowed a hostile educational environment to fester and now to boil over," said Erica Valdillez, whose 14-year-old daughter was one of those fighting and was expelled. "They refuse to look at our students as a group and address the race factor. They've chosen to ignore this."

Parents and various advocacy groups have met with school administrators, the mayor and the chief of police. They plan to file formal complaints against police and the school district.

School administrators and police defend how the fight was handled.

Everett Police Chief Jim Scharf on Monday said a review by his department showed that "officers appeared to have handled the situation with considerable restraint."

Scharf and city officials met with concerned leaders of the Hispanic community after the arrests, but race concerns were not addressed in a statement Scharf released Monday.

"We're not going to address the race issue. We deal with conduct. We don't deal with race," said Sgt. Boyd Bryant, a spokesman.

High school officials said they sent letters earlier in the school year explaining that students must follow orders to leave the area of a fight.

School staff gave three warnings and tried to physically intervene in the fight before calling police, he said.

The incident comes after a dozen Hispanic students in May filed complaints with the school district alleging harassment and discrimination. The district hired a consultant, who did not find discrimination but said school leaders could do a better job of addressing cultural differences.

Several minority leaders in the community were dissatisfied with the report.

"This little incident has become a bonfire because of what has happened" in the past, said Carlos Veliz, a local businessman who serves on the mayor's advisory council on diversity. He also mentors some of the students and helped them file complaints last year.

The district will continue to address cultural concerns, McNally said.

"We want to make sure the school has a climate that honors all students and their cultural backgrounds and have been very sensitive about that," he said.

The school has broadened its efforts to communicate with parents who don't speak English since last year's complaints. The Refugee and Immigrant Forum of Snohomish County, based at Everett Community College, has played a key role in those efforts.

"We had never seen that before," said Van Dinh-Kuno, the forum's executive director. More changes will be needed, but "I don't expect change overnight."

Everett High School junior Franky Medina, 17, who was involved in last year's complaint, said he noticed a positive difference on campus this year.

"Things were good, things were fine, just until this (fight) happened," he said.

Mayor Ray Stephanson has had discussions about the incident with concerned groups. He met with about 50 parents, students and other concerned people informally Monday night.

The city's complaint process would be a fair and equitable way to examine concerns, Stephanson said. He urged people "to keep an open mind" in the meantime.

"I think the best justice we can give each other is to understand what the facts are," he said. "What we may find from this, I hope, are some lessons learned."

Stephanie Ruiz Angulo of Everett, who is helping parents compile their complaints, said the situation at Everett High School is reflective of statewide issues.

"We're fed up," Ruiz Angulo said. "We've had enough ... We're not asking anymore."

In the most recent incident, school officials called police to help break up a fight between two teenage girls outside the school.

Officer Suzanne Eviston tried to pull the girls apart, but one refused to cooperate, according to a police affidavit filed in Everett District Court. Eviston pulled the girl's hair to bring her to the ground, court records say.

Then, an 18-year-old student rushed up and struck Eviston with his forearm from behind, police reported.

Officers Les Letoto and Jason Jones knocked the teen to the ground. Jones attempted to arrest the 18-year-old, who resisted and swung at the officer, police reported. Jones sprayed him in the face with pepper spray and tackled him to the ground. He was then handcuffed.

After being given medical attention, the teen denied assaulting Eviston. Instead he told the officer he "checked her," according to the police affidavit.

Four boys also were arrested for various misdemeanors. All but the 18-year-old were released to their parents.

Of those arrested, five were Hispanic, one was black and one boy's race wasn't specified.

The 18-year-old student was booked into the Snohomish County Jail for investigation of third-degree assault. No charges have been filed. The Snohomish County Prosecuting Attorney's Office said Monday it has not received police reports.

Herald reporters Jim Haley and Scott North contributed to this article.

Reporter Melissa Slager: 425-339-3465 or mslager@heraldnet.com.