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A November, 2009 fight between several white and Somali-American students at Owatonna High School and alleged severe and pervasive harassment generated a complaint to the Educational Opportunities Section of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice ("the Division") and the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights ("OCR") regarding the student-on-student harassment and disproportionate discipline of Somali-American students based on their race and national-origin by Owatonna Independent Public School District No. 761(also known as Owatonna Public Schools) ("OPS"). An investigation of OPS under Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by the OCR and the Division followed. The departments gathered evidence indicating that the district meted out disproportionate discipline for the students involved in the November 2009 incident and that the district's policies, procedures and trainings were not adequately addressing harassment against Somali-American students.
Following affirmative steps by OPS to address the harassment and disproportionate discipline of Somali-American students, OPS, the Division, and the OCR voluntarily entered into a resolution agreement on April 12, 2011. Under the terms of the agreement, OPS promised to, inter alia, issue an anti-harassment statement to all district students, parents and staff; conduct training of all OPS faculty, staff and students on discrimination and harassment; meet with high school Somali students to discuss their concerns about harassment; establish a working group of OPS personnel, students and parents to make recommendations to OPS regarding the effectiveness of OPS's anti-harassment program; develop an OPS-wide monitoring program to assess the effectiveness of OPS's anti-harassment efforts; and provide annual compliance reports to the OCR and DOJ for the next three years.
Summary Authors
Heather Turner (6/4/2014)
Berman, Amy I. (District of Columbia)
Last updated Aug. 30, 2023, 1:47 p.m.
Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.State / Territory: Minnesota
Case Type(s):
Key Dates
Closing Date: Aug. 1, 2014
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Educational Opportunities Section of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights
Plaintiff Type(s):
U.S. Dept of Justice plaintiff
Attorney Organizations:
U.S. Dept. of Justice Civil Rights Division
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
Owatonna Public Schools (Owatonna, Steele), School District
Defendant Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Title VI, Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d et seq.
Title IV, Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000c et seq.
Constitutional Clause(s):
Special Case Type(s):
Available Documents:
Injunctive (or Injunctive-like) Relief
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Nature of Relief:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Form of Settlement:
Order Duration: 2011 - 2014
Content of Injunction:
Develop anti-discrimination policy
Implement complaint/dispute resolution process
Goals (e.g., for hiring, admissions)
Issues
General:
Staff (number, training, qualifications, wages)
Discrimination-basis:
National origin discrimination
Race:
Type of Facility: