Dear Colleague:
          I write to ask your help in responding to a problem that has arisen            following the terrible events of the past several days, and that threatens            some of our nation's students. There have been increasing news reports            of incidents of harassment and violence directed at persons perceived            to be Arab Americans or of Middle Eastern or South Asian origin, including            children. Arab-American parents have publicly expressed fear about the            safety of their children at school. These occurrences are extremely            disturbing to me and are of major concern to the Department of Education.

All of us are justly outraged at the destruction and loss of life in            New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania. However, violence and harassment            against innocent people based solely on their race or national origin            only compounds hatred and must not be condoned or tolerated. Each incident            has a ripple effect in our schools and our communities, creating fear            and tensions that ultimately affect us all. I am concerned that young            people are particularly susceptible to copying inappropriate conduct            at a time when fear and anger are heightened.

We are all committed to making sure children across America can attend            school in a safe and secure environment free from physical threats and            discrimination. School officials, working closely with students, parents,            and community groups, play a critical role in ensuring that race-based            harassment and violence have no place in our schools.

Harassment in schools can take many forms, from abusive name calling            to violent crimes directed at a student because of his or her race or            ancestry, the country of origin of the student's family, or the student's            cultural traditions. If ignored, harassment can jeopardize students'            ability to learn, undermine their physical and emotional well-being,            provoke retaliatory violence, and exacerbate community conflicts. The            message we must send out to parents and students is that such conduct            is unconditionally wrong and will not be tolerated in our schools.

I take this opportunity to highlight our responsibilities under Title            VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VI prohibits discrimination            based on race, color, or national origin by recipients of federal financial            assistance. Schools, colleges, and universities are responsible under            Title VI for providing students with an education environment free from            discrimination.

Racial or ethnic harassment is unlawful. It can deny or limit a student's            ability to receive or participate in the benefits, services, or opportunities            in a school's program - simply speaking it denies students the right            to an education free of discrimination. The existence     of a racially hostile environment that is encouraged, accepted, or            tolerated by a school, college, or university constitutes different            treatment of students on the basis of race.

In response to last week's events specifically, I urge you to make            sure that assemblies, classroom discussions, and other school activities            held to honor victims of the tragedies do not inadvertently foster the            targeting of Arab-American students for harassment or blame. Encourage            students to discuss diversity constructively and to express disagreement            over ideas or beliefs in a respectful manner. Have a system in place            to intervene if particular students exhibit feelings or conduct that            could endanger others. Encourage all students to report threats of racial            or ethnic harassment.

Through our words and the example of our own conduct, we must remind            our children that harassment of and violence toward any individual because            of his or her race or national origin is never acceptable. In addition,            we must emphasize during this difficult time in our nation's history            that our feelings of anger and sadness must not be directed at innocent            Arab Americans, or other individuals having no connection to last week's            events. Working together, we can make sure that our children get a good            education in a safe environment that does not tolerate violence and            hatred.

Thank you for your help on this most critical issue.

Sincerely,

/s/

Rod Paige

|Last Modified: 09/15/2004
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