WHEREAS, The League of United Latin American Citizens supports the purpose of fostering and enlarging the opportunities for training, education, civil rights, job opportunities, housing, economic development and welfare of all Hispanic citizens of the United States; and
WHEREAS, in 1998 the Buckeye Elementary School District #33 (BESD33) school board & administrators undertook and approved a curriculum audit be performed on the district and the curriculum audit unveiled massive amounts of failures at BESD33 including Hispanic student discrimination allegations in numerous areas, and,
WHEREAS, the U.S. Dept of Education, Office of Civil Rights (OCR) in Denver, Colorado was handed this failed curriculum audit as the centerpiece along with other evidence which all this led to the filing of OCR federal Hispanic student & parent discrimination case #08981155 versus BESD33 which forced the BESD33 Superintendent Michael Melton to sign a Commitment To Resolve (CTR) to end Hispanic Discrimination on the BESD33 campus on December 16, 1998 and,
WHEREAS, since December 1998 the FEDS out of the OCR Federal Bldg, Denver, Colorado have been trying to get the Federal Plan approved on how to end Discrimination on the BESD33 campus. As of today, May 3, 2002, the complainant for OCR case #08981155 (LULAC Council 1084 President Silverio Garcia Jr.) has not been informed on the approval of such a plan. The BESD33 has had since Dec 16, 1998 to get such a Plan approved and had failed. OCR's monitoring of the Hispanic Community and other ethnic organizations in the surrounding areas are insensitive, lack awareness of cultural diversity, and maintains an overall arrogance and unprofessional handling of this racial discrimination case, which has our Hispanic children & community in the midst.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the National League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) wholeheartedly condemns the handling of OCR CASE #08981155 of the BESD33 and therefore strongly states the following:
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that LULAC strongly approves and applauds all of the local, state & national organizations which have sided with LULAC Council 1084 in forming a coalition to address this failed school district. LULAC says thank you to the United Farmworkers (UFW), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Greater Phoenix Urban League (GPUL), Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC), PPEP #1088 Council, the Mexican American Legal Defense & Educational Fund (MALDEF), Valle del Sol, the Phoenix-based Hispanic Leadership Institute, Mentally III Kids in Distress (MIKED), Native American Community Organizing Project, the American Indian Movement and various concerned citizens. LULAC plans to see Hispanic Discrimination end on the BESD33 campus and LULAC thanks everyone involved. UNIDOS WE SHALL OVERCOME.
Submitted by Mary L. Fimbres, Arizona State Director and Richard G. Fimbres, National VP for the Farwest.
Approved this 29th day of June, 2002.
Hector M. Flores
LULAC National President