West Lafayette Community School Corporation Alumni are petitioning the district about changes they feel need to be made to better support students of color.
On Thursday a group of Alumni announced the petition publicly at the West Lafayette Junior-Senior High School.,
Are petitioning the district about changes they feel need to be made..
To better support students of color.
I talked with the alumi who put together the petition.
They say this isn't an attack on the character of the community but rather a challenge for the district to be part of a national solution.
The west lafayette junior senior high school is under construction... but alumni of the school say what happens on the inside is what needs to change.
"i feel that a lot of people don't really see what's going on behind the scenes because they aren't experiencing it we noticed that a lot online."-becca mims becca mims is referring to a facebook group that was started just two weeks.
The group has nearly 15-hundred members all of which were once students at west lafayette community school corporation.
"there's people that still live here that still go to this school that i care about a lot, and i want this school to be a safer and better place for them i don't want them to feel the way i did."-angela frezza 797 of the students in that group signed a petition that has been sent to the school district and the superintendent.
The petition presents a list changes that these students believe can enhance the districts policies when it comes to supporting people of color.
The petition asks the school district for a number of things... like ending it's contract with the west lafayette police department.
"cops aren't trained to work with children they are trained to work with adult criminals.
When cops are brought in to schools sometimes something that would be a displinary issue becomes a criminal issue and i don't think that's fostering an enviornment where someone feels safe to learn especially if your walking down the hall and you have an engrained fear of police because you are a person of color."-becca mims the school board released this statement saying in part.
"the west lafayette community school corporation has zero tolerance for racism and racial discrimination.
We are committed to a well-rounded education for all and are proud of the opportunities that west lafayette schools affords its students.
The group gathered at the school thursday and invited administrators, but they didn't show up.
One teacher did, though.
She agrees there needs to be changes..
But says there are issues achieving everything the students are asking for.
"i think the police aspect is definitely needed other things with in the petition like full-time director, that's difficult to do in a district as small as we are.
I definitely think we can use some time as a faculty to address our curriculums."-carol letcher we reached out to both the west lafayette police chief and the superintendent of west lafayette schools but neither were made available for comment.