Case: Owatonna Public School District No. 761

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Case Summary

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 O…

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)

People


Attorney for Plaintiff

Berman, Amy I. (District of Columbia)

Attorney for Plaintiff

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document

Departments of Justice and Education Reach Agreement with Owatonna, Minn., Public Schools to Resolve Harassment Allegations

April 12, 2011

April 12, 2011

Press Release

10-01148

Resolution Agreement [#05-10-1148]

April 21, 2011

April 21, 2011

Settlement Agreement

Docket

Last updated Aug. 30, 2023, 1:47 p.m.

Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.

Case Details

State / Territory: Minnesota

Case Type(s):

Education

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):

Elementary/Secondary School

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):

Equal Protection

Special Case Type(s):

Out-of-court

Available Documents:

Injunctive (or Injunctive-like) Relief

Outcome

Prevailing Party: Plaintiff

Nature of Relief:

Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement

Source of Relief:

Settlement

Form of Settlement:

Private Settlement Agreement

Order Duration: 2011 - 2014

Content of Injunction:

Hire

Discrimination Prohibition

Develop anti-discrimination policy

Implement complaint/dispute resolution process

Reporting

Recordkeeping

Goals (e.g., for hiring, admissions)

Issues

General:

Failure to train

Language access/needs

Staff (number, training, qualifications, wages)

Discrimination-basis:

National origin discrimination

Race discrimination

Race:

Black

Type of Facility:

Government-run