Los Angeles school officials are cracking down on hate speech after black teachers and students described being called racial slurs and becoming targets on campus.
In shocking testimony, educators revealed they have been called the N-word and compared to monkeys — with one educator claiming he was forced to write his own hate speech policy because administrators failed to act.
In response, the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday aimed at strengthening districtwide policies and school-based strategies to address hate speech, harassment and discrimination.
The move comes after months of pressure from black educators and community members who accused the nation’s second-largest school district of failing to protect students and staff from harassment.
Board Member Karla Griego, who introduced the resolution, said vulnerable communities were facing increasingly hostile rhetoric that was spilling into schools.
“Given the surge in hate crimes across our neighborhoods, it is our duty to reinforce our schools as secure sanctuaries and protective havens for all,” Griego said. “Intimidation, harassment, and bullying fueled by hate speech and racial slurs will not be tolerated within our public schools.”
The resolution calls for additional staff training, updated reference guides, more consistent reporting procedures and stronger accountability measures when incidents occur.
The push for action was fueled by disturbing testimony from teachers and students who told the board that racial slurs and other forms of anti-black harassment had become a regular feature of campus life.
Bruce Brown, a black LAUSD teacher who said he has spent 15 of his 28 years in education working for the district, described a litany of alleged incidents during a public comment period.
“Students have kicked my door and ran away, leaving banana peels, N-words, saying things that are extremely bigoted,” Brown told board members.
He said he was eventually forced to put together his own hate speech policy because nobody else was taking action.
He claimed school administrators had also subjected him to racially motivated disciplinary write-ups, despite witnesses and surveillance footage supporting his account.
“I have to say that because as a black man from top to bottom, I don’t like when people try to explain what we’re dealing with,” Brown said. “So I’m here to tell you here and now, the word is not acceptable.”
Shelly Castillo, another educator who addressed the board, said black students had told her they were being called the N-word, “monkeys” and other degrading names.
She said students often stayed quiet because they feared they would not be believed or could face further isolation and retaliation.
Castillo also described finding the N-word written on desks and her classroom whiteboard, as well as students making monkey gestures toward her while she taught.
“I’ve been appalled to hear the N-word used widely and freely on campuses and even in the classrooms,” she told board members.
The concerns were echoed by Chloe Claxton, a senior at an LAUSD high school, who said students at her majority-white school were not consistently held accountable for using racial slurs.
“From my observations as a student attending a predominantly white school, students who say the N-words and concerns regarding African Americans are not held accountable for their actions,” Claxton said.
“They’re either given a light warning or they simply ignore it and don’t report it. And when teachers do report the action, school administrators… instead disregard it.”
Superintendent Andrés E. Chait backed the resolution, saying the district had a responsibility to create an environment where students and staff feel respected.
“Hate speech, harassment, and discrimination have no place in our schools,” Chait said. “Fostering a culture of respect, inclusion and belonging is not only a personal priority, but a reflection of the values at the very heart of Los Angeles Unified.”
Board President Scott Schmerelson said the district would review its policies to make it easier for students and employees to recognize and report hate speech.
“Students can only learn when they feel safe and welcome,” Schmerelson said.
Board Member Sherlett Hendy Newbill, meanwhile, cautioned that passing a resolution would not be enough without meaningful enforcement.
“Our success cannot be measured simply by the passage of this resolution, but by what happens afterward,” Newbill said.
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