ACLU accuses Arizona high school of making students wear 'scarlet badge' of shame
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
The American Civil Liberties Union is accusing an Arizona high school of violating students' privacy rights and shaming them with a "scarlet badge" over grades.
Students at Mingus Union High School in Cottonwood, about 100 miles north of Phoenix, wear badges around their necks every day on campus — red-color IDs for freshmen and sophomores, and gray for juniors and seniors.
This fall, upperclassmen who are failing classes are being forced to wear red underclass IDs, the ACLU said in a letter that claims Mingus Union is in violation of federal statutes on keeping academic information private.
"The District's 'scarlet badge' policy in which it publicly identifies and shames underperforming students, does not bear a rational relationship to a legitimate educational interest," according to a Dec. 28 letter by Kathleen Brody, legal director for the ACLU of Arizona, to the district.
The civil rights group cited a specific case of third-year student Jordan Pickett, but said other upperclassmen too have been hit with the requirement to wear the "scarlet badge." The ACLU said it doesn't know exactly how many 11th- and 12th graders are wearing red badges.
The school district's lawyer responded to the ACLU this week, saying Pickett is being forced to wear red because she lacks enough credits to be classified as an 11th grader.
The district lawyer said a student's grade level is considered "directory information" and thus allowed under federal academic privacy statutes.
The school district lawyer, Susan Segal, also wrote that color codes on badges are important because upperclassmen have greater privileges than underclassmen, including the right to leave campus for lunch.
"Thus any characterization of the badges as a 'scarlet' letter that implies the use of the color is punitive is misleading," Segal wrote.
But the ACLU claims other 11th- and 12th-graders who have failed a class but are still on schedule to graduate are among those being forced to wear red badges.
"The school knows what it's inflicting on its students and the fact that they don't care is quite alarming," ACLU Arizona spokeswoman Marcela Taracena said Friday.
Regina Gee, who doubles as both the high school principal and acting superintendent of the school district, insisted the color-coding is only a reflection of class credits earned by a student.
"Juniors receive gray IDs as long as they are a true junior," she said. "The assertion by the ACLU that we don't care about our students is heartbreaking."
The ACLU said it hopes to continue talks with the school district and avoid a legal challenge. Gee seemed to leave that door open.
"We have the very best intentions at heart and have no problem reviewing our practices," she said
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I'm not digging this. Talk about mixed messages. Teach "The Scarlet Letter" and then do the exact thing that the story is telling in this almost 200 year old cautionary tale and make it real life. Also, how do the lower grades feel about this? Kind of a double slap in the face.
What do you think?
I don't care how they feel. Their feelings are up to them, and attempting to control them externally is a fool's errand.
But it's illegal from a privacy standpoint, the district is going to lose the lawsuit, and somebody in administration should have known that ahead of time.
One of my favourite quotes:
I know of two things that are infinite-- the Universe and human stupidity. And I'm not entirely sure about the former.
--Albert Einstein
Why does the school have to be able to identify the class of a student on sight anyway? I have worked in more schools than I can count (as a sub and a regular faculty member) and I can't remember a single one doing anything like this.
I can remember as in 2nd grade having a teacher who pinned humiliating signs to the students who had done things she didn't approve of. It was a kind of humiliation everyone remembered into adulthood (yeah we actually do keep in touch). I will never understand why people who enjoy being mean to kids take jobs as teachers or school administrators.
Perhaps that's exactly why they do take those jobs in the first place!
There are just some inherently really nasty people. in this world But they can't do it all that easily to other adults-- most adults will fight back! So they become teachers where they can take advantage of little kids!
I have to agree with you Krish. I don't care how old a kid is. They are still under a ton of peer pressure and the last thing they need is mean teachers and mean administration.
As another teacher, I have to agree with you Tacos. My first 5 years as a teacher was teaching the lower performing kids, and humiliation never worked. Small rewards for good results accompanied with report did. I can't imagine being this cruel to kids.
Funny enough I had a 2nd grade teacher who also tortured me and some other kids. I never forgot how she made me feel. And yes, I too keep in touch with my friends from elementary school, and they remember this witch.
Teaching is not for everyone, (I am sure I don't have to tell you that). If you don't have the disposition, you should leave the profession. It would be better for you and the kids. I just don't get how a whole administration could be on board with this.
I coached a lot, too, which gives you plenty of opportunity to be mean to kids. Whether or coaching or teaching, I always tried to have the policy that if I wouldn't say or do something with an adult, I wouldn't do it with a kid. It's so easy to bully kids and so many adults don't realize that's what they do every day.
When it comes to stupid ideas this one has to be close to the top of the list.
Yes I prefer the dunce caps myself.
Now that is a classic. I guess we haven't moved passed that.
Pretty much!
Seems like a non issue. The school's lawyer gave a credible explanation.
Children are the future.
What kind of a future do we plan to have when this sort of thing is allowed to happen?
E.
The MHUS student handbook.
The Student ID sections says nothing about colors or academic records.
"Student Records" Does point out that the District follows federal law and restricts student grade info to parents and students 18 years old or older.
The law suit will hinge on two issues.
What is the definition of "directory information" which the School District wants to define as discretionary - (their discretion)?
A minor point.
There is a section in the handbook covering lost ID tags which can be purchased at the book store for $6.00
If a junior is for some reason required to get a new RED ID for the current semester, who pays for it?
Or is that just another form of embarrassment for the student encouraged by the School Board/District and Gina Gee?
Well.....Parents always seem to want these "Public" Schools to do ALL the babysitting, and be "Responsible" for their kids upbringing on their behalf, until it isn't prudent ! (face palm face)
So the justification is upperclassmen can leave campus?
Seems to me that justification has been thrown out the window when some upperclassmen remain in the upper classes yet still get the red badge.
It also seems to show that they are letting people graduate that shouldn't.
Shines a spotlight on the schools own lacking instead of the students.