Posted on 05/21/2008 7:15:35 PM PDT by markomalley
Wichita, May 21, 2008 / 06:14 pm (CNA).- A Catholic school in Wichita is being sued by four Hispanic families over a policy that requires students to speak English in school at all times.
The Associated Press reports that the lawsuit filed against St. Anne’s Catholic School on Monday seeks to end the policy and to secure an order barring similar policies at other diocesan schools. The suit also seeks to allow the return of one student who was allegedly kicked out for refusing to sign the “English only” pledge. It asks for court costs and unspecified damages for discrimination and emotional suffering.
Parents Mike and Clara Silva, Maria and Fermin Fernandez, Guadalupe Cruz-Tello and Alma Contreras filed the lawsuit on behalf of themselves and their minor children. The lawsuit names as defendants St. Anne Catholic School, Principal Margaret Nugent, St. Anne Catholic Parish, and the Catholic Diocese of Wichita.
The diocese said the school instituted the policy in response to four students who were using Spanish to bully others and to put down teachers and administrators. The majority of the school’s 243 students are white, while 75 students are Hispanic, 27 are Asian, and two are black.
According to court documents, the students named in the lawsuit are bilingual U.S. citizens with no disciplinary record.
Lawyers for the students' parents claimed that bullying was not the initial reason the school enacted the policy, citing a letter the school sent home saying that students who are immersed in the English language improve their ability to improve and succeed.
"One real problem that I think the plaintiffs have with the policy is not just that it's a bad policy, but that the justification keeps changing," said Christopher M. McHugh, an attorney for the families. "When one doesn't work, you move on to the next reason."
"I think if one school is granted their wish by not allowing their students to speak another language, then other schools will follow suit," said parent Mike Silva, according to the Associated Press.
Diocese of Wichita spokesman Fred Solis told the AP that the lawsuit was unfortunate because the church has historically offered services to minorities and has supported immigrant rights.
The diocese’s attorney Jay Fowler suggested in a letter to the families’ lawyer that the lawsuit would divide the community.
"The politicization of what basically is a disagreement between a parent and a school will most likely morph into an anti-immigrant sentiment, thereby undermining the effects of both our clients," he wrote.
The lawsuit claims that because the school receives federal money for its free and reduced-price lunch program, it is subject to federal anti-discrimination laws. The school district argues that the students, not the school, receive the federal funding.
Does anyone know where we can send money to help with the school’s legal expenses?
Pastor Father Thomas Leland - tleland@stannewichita.org
“Amigo e Amiga, if the article is truthful and accuate then the students named in the lawsuit are bilingual U.S. citizens.”
Deport their parents, then. ;)
Kids have to live somewhere. Let Mexico deal with the immigration papers.
Hispandering PING!
I think they should sit down and discuss this the Hispanics.....and they should do it only in Latin.
Does this mean the catholic church will change position on illegal immigration? God I hope so. LMAO!
Those families can go pound sand.
These are diocesan schools. They are not getting any federal aid, because the ACLU and others have ensured that they aren’t eligible for it.
They have a perfect right to do whatever they think is best for the students and also for the school as a whole, which would certainly include disciplining or kicking out bullies.
Students who can’t deal with the rules can go to public school—free. The single most important reason why parochial school students generally do better than public school students, especially in the inner cities, is precisely because they are expected to accept discipline and rules and learn how to behave.
Who is running this country these days? Americans or illegal Mexican nationals?
Why learn Engliss? Just get a lawyer who do. One dat don’ charge nuffin if he don’ win.
As a former Catholic School Teacher I say Bravo to this school. My school was 90 % Latino and we had an English Only rule. Why? So students could find a better life in the USA. Had the school been in Mexico it would have been all Spanish Speaking—but it wasn’t. That sort of PC argument hurts the students. The crusty old nuns who ran the school (God Bless them) were mostly Latinas but they too kept to the rule. The kids were motivated,the school had the support of the parents, and I would set my sixth graders up against High School seniors when it came to academics. Our text books were old and the 16 mm projector ancient and worked only half the time. Teachers were paid starvation wages but education isn’t about money or computers or pay—its about dedication to teaching and dicipline.
Let us hope so. The community should hound these people until they move out of town. Un-American activities must not be tolerated.
They don't want to. Gringos are the enemy. Every major Hispanic group, from La Raza to MECha preach separation and division based on their culture and language.
God bless you.
Whats not stated is that those speaking espangola are there through subsidy of the parish. Meaning those of us that sweat and toil to pay the private school toll have to let non assimilators into our schools. Ungreatful this mexican horde is I tell you.
Eeenglish? We doan need no stinking eeenglish!
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