BILLINGS — Shannon Beavers, a Billings parent, is calling for change from Billings School District 2 (SD2) after two incidents involving her daughter, Poppy, and other students who said they "had an n-word pass" at Bench Elementary School.
“Every fight that we fight is one less (that) my kids have to fight," said Beavers, a 17-year Navy veteran.
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In an email exchange between her and Billings Superintendent Erwin Garcia, provided to MTN, Beavers detailed suggestions for the district including, but not excluding, the following:
- Policy updates to specifically address the use of slurs
- School-wide diversity training for staff and students
- Parental communication about instances of racism and inclusion
- Transparent accountability for complaints about racism
“Just because something is not your experience, is not the truth in your life, in your circle, in your fishbowl, does not mean millions of Americans—innocent children—don’t experience it every single day," said Beavers, when asked about those who might suggest racism does not exist in contemporary American culture.
SD2 said in an email to MTN that the district investigated and handled the instances with standards (Policy 3210) meant to address "harassment, intimidation, and bullying."
“It’s a (slur) that, one, I never mentioned in our household and, unfortunately, they learned about the word in school," said Poppy's father, who asked not to be identified.
In an email exchange with Beavers, Garcia said her expectation of “district-wide action for an incident in a single classroom is unreasonable,” likening the situation to parents asking for changes to “athletics and snow day procedures.”
Classroom-level issues are best addressed at the classroom and school levels. Expecting district-wide action for an incident in a single classroom is unreasonable. You are not the first to bring concerns to the board of administration demanding immediate change on matters such as athletics, snow day procedures, or other district functions. I have listened to your concerns; the principal has already addressed them and set a plan to educate other children in the school. — Superintendent Erwin Garcia, Billings Public Schools
Beavers said she expects the school district to have defined consequences for the use of slurs if it has specific ramifications laid out for matters such as dress codes.
“You can make a policy that if my daughter wears a spaghetti strap … that she has to go home or she can’t be there … You have a clear, defined consequence for that, but you cannot set a clear, defined consequence for racial slurs. I don’t buy it," said Beavers.
Poppy's parents said lack of acknowledgment of the unique experiences of those from smaller ethnic portions of the community (less than two percent of people in Billings identify themselves as black) leaves issues like racism in the dark.
“Acknowledge color. Acknowledge the presence of someone else. Of course, don’t identify somebody by that, but that’s the beautiful thing is to acknowledge our differences and learn from them, grow from them," said Poppy's father.
Editor's Note: Due to specific safety concerns regarding Poppy and her father's well-being, MTN News did not include his full name or her last name.
