District 99 Teachers Speaking Up About the Need to Address Racial Injustice
Exterior of the District 99 Administrative building on 24th st in Cicero, Illinois. Photo by April Alonso
By Irene Romulo
Note: Cicero Independiente spoke to several District 99 teachers to confirm the events in this story. They all asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation.
Several District 99 teachers are speaking out against the district’s lack of conversations about racial injustice, according to emails provided to Cicero Independiente. Now, some staff say, the district is trying to silence discussions by threatening teachers with disciplinary action.
On September 23, District 99 staff received an email from Superintendent Rodolfo Hernandez with the subject headline "Civil Unrest Conditions." The email explained that “out of precautionary measures” the district had been advised to work remotely “as we continue to monitor the situation and receive updated information from CPD.”
That same day a grand jury indicted a former Louisville police detective for endangering Breonna Taylor’s neighbors by recklessly firing his gun. The decision sparked renewed protests demanding justice for Taylor in Louisville and across the country.
In screenshots of emails provided to Cicero Independiente by staff, several District 99 teachers replied all to Hernandez’s email.
“There’s a lot of ambiguity in these kinds of emails from the district,” one teacher replied.
“I’m having a hard time understanding this email,” replied another. “Are you speaking of Breonna Taylor’s murder, the lack of accountibiilty for police officers in our legal system and the subsequent civil unrest?”
“As a BIPOC [teacher]...It saddens me that not a single member of the administration team has taken a stance on Black Lives Matter,” replied another teacher of color.
Other emails echoed similar sentiments.
On Thursday, September 24, District 99 staff received another email, this time from Mary Beth King who is listed as the Director of Human Resources on the district’s website. The email warns staff to cease using the district’s email systems for communications not in compliance with the school board’s acceptable use policy or face “loss of privileges, disciplinary action, and/or appropriate legal action.”
Superintendent Hernandez has not returned several requests for comment.
Earlier this summer, cities across the country, including Cicero, experienced social uprisings after police murdered George Floyd. Cicero Independiente released a series of stories documenting the events of the summer including June 1, when armed groups of non-Black Latinx residents took to the streets in Berwyn and Cicero causing many Black residents to experience anti-Black violence.
According to a District 99 teacher who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, the lack of acknowledgement or statement from the district about racial injustice, or the events that occured in Cicero over the summer, speaks to the district's lack of care for students and teachers.
“We are a district that serves 98% students of color and a diverse set of teachers. Those teachers do not feel supported, they feel like they have been hung out to dry,” they said in an interview over the phone. “It is disgraceful and embarrassing and makes going to work very challenging.”
The teacher who spoke to Cicero Independiente on condition of anonymity hopes the district will now take steps to address the racial injustice experienced by students of color in the district. Other school districts have issued resources for teachers to discuss recent events with students and family members.
“A beginning first step would be a statement from the district. They should also commit to providing training for teachers about racial justice and updating curriculum to make it more culturally responsive,” they said. “Just taking more action to ensure that teachers, students and families feel supported and cared for.”
The next board meeting for District 99 is scheduled for October 14 at 6:30 p.m. Board meetings are held at 5110 W. 24th Street. Members of the public can also listen in via phone.
Irene Romulo is co-founder and editor for Cicero Independiente.
