U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights Review

For Hawaii Residents

The Deparment of Education's Office of Civil Rights will be taking testimonies of school related discrimination. If you or someone you know has a story about being bullied in school or being wrongfully mistreated because you're Micronesian, this is an opportunity to be heard. Please contact us th4thbrnch@gmail.com and we will direct you to someone who can record your story.

Excerprt from OCR spokesperson:

OCR (Offic of Civil Rights) is conducting a compliance review of the Hawaii Department  of Education about harassment and bullying based on sex, race, color,  national origin, or disability. These categories are very broad and  would include bullying that occurs based on a student's being  Micronesian or from a COFA nation.

Ideally, OCR would like to speak directly with families  or students who have experienced discrimination. I understand that it  can be very difficult for families to share their stories, and that many  are also concerned about retaliation. These interviews are not 100%  confidential, but it is unlikely someone would be able to identify who  OCR interviewed. Anyone interviewed is also legally protected from  retaliation.

If people are not comfortable sharing their  experiences, we can also report them anonymously. If we do not get  stories about students' experiences, OCR will not be able to determine  that they are in non-compliance. Data is not enough--they need  information about specific incidents.

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The good news about this is that we now have a chance to tell the  federal government about what students here are experiencing. If the  Hawaii Department of Education is found to be out of compliance, OCR  will enter into a consent decree that will include the steps that Hawaii  DOE will need to take to address the harassment and civil rights  problems.