Rantz: School hosts racially segregated meetings, district defends the racism

A Lake Washington School District high school has become the latest to host meetings segregated by race. While these meetings may be separate but equal, they’re still racist.

Eastlake High School principal Todd Apple emailed parents about upcoming meetings centered around student athletics. He said he was seeking “parents’ perspectives [about] what it’s like for your kids and for you here at Eastlake.” But the meetings will be separated by race, with the first one specifically for “Parents of Black students.” Parents of white, Asian, Latino, or Native American students are not supposed to attend, and future meetings for those parents have not yet been set. But they apparently will also be subject to the same race-based attendance rule.

“I plan to meet more parents like this. Let me know if there’s a group you’d like to be part of,” Apple wrote. The email newsletter was shared with The Jason Rantz Show on KTTH by a concerned parent.

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Institutionalizing racism

Radical Left educators frequently cite the need to dismantle institutionalized racism.

Popularized by the Black Lives Matter movement, we’ve been told that American institutions are steeped in “white supremacy” that still damages black students today. They’ve been on a mission to root out that racism and rebuild institutions in ways that are fair to all students and parents. Yet left-wing educators are fighting racism — that doesn’t actually exist — with actual forms of racism.

A district spokesperson defended the meetings, arguing that “students and families have different experiences in our schools.”

“Eastlake High School, one of the largest schools in the state, is trying to connect with all families and is offering small group, in-person meetings to build community and connection,” the spokesperson emailed The Jason Rantz Show on KTTH.

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Redefining ‘discrimination’

Neither the district nor the Sammamish-based high school allows for racial discrimination. But much like they’ve done with other words, the district is simply redefining “discrimination” by implying that racially-segregated meetings are somehow morally justified.

“Providing these types of opportunities is called out in our Lake Washington School District Board of Directors Operational Expectation 14.8 – ‘Incorporate diverse perspectives and culturally relevant strategies in district/school communications and community engagement, especially perspectives that have been marginalized, underrepresented, or have faced barriers.’ Eastlake High School staff is working to hear these perspectives,” the spokesperson emailed.

The district may not define “discrimination” accurately, but if they reject a white parent of a white student from attending, they would be breaking the law.

The Lake Washington School District is not alone in holding separate but equal meetings. Seattle Public Schools held racist meetings as part of a superintendent listening tour. Superintendent Brent Jones, Ph.D. was mostly interested in hearing from non-white parents, a key reason why enrollment has dropped so significantly. The Issaquah School Board held racially segregated meetings while selecting a new superintendent. The implication was that black families didn’t feel comfortable around white ones — a position determined by a group of mostly white women eager to convince black people to be their friends.

Are Eastlake educators virulent racists?

It’s unclear why student or parent experiences at Eastlake High School differ based on race or any immutable characteristic. Are the educators racist? I find that hard to believe, but perhaps that explains why the school only has a little over 1% black student enrollment.

Presumably, Eastlake educators treat all students with the same level of fairness and compassion, regardless of skin color. It’s likely that district leaders don’t even believe student and parent experiences differ based on race. It’s precisely why they would never — and should never — hold a meeting for parents of white students. If they did, they’d be called racist. Yet educators expect to be celebrated as heroic and bold for holding meetings just for blacks, Latinos, Asians, or Native Americans.

They’re neither heroic nor bold, of course. They’re divisive and condescending, using black kids to earn social currency.

Sending the wrong message

I’m guessing Principal Apple is well-intentioned, but by holding these racist meetings, they are telling black students that they’re not served the same way in schools as their white classmates.

It’s a position that would naturally engender resentment among students. Would you be upset if you found out your white co-worker was treated better because of skin color? Of course. So why are we telling students this without any evidence it’s occurring? And if it is occurring, racially segregated meetings aren’t the answer. Firing racist educators is what’s necessary.

This also does a disservice to black students. It gives them excuses for issues they may encounter when racism doesn’t exist. Didn’t get an “A” on an essay like a white classmate? They’re being taught that their grade difference is a result of unearned white privilege and institutionalized racism. This ensures the student will never address the reason they got a “C” — like a lack of attention to detail or a poorly developed thesis. In this scenario, wouldn’t the student be better off knowing they’re being treated fairly and just need to work on their academics?

Why is it that in 2023, we still have to tell progressive school districts that racism is immoral?

Listen to the Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast. Follow @JasonRantz on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Check back frequently for more news and analysis.

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