Justice Department quickly ended Idaho school investigation after Trump took office
The Nampa School District has punished Latino students for actions like wearing red or blue clothing or Catholic rosaries, according to a complaint the American Civil Liberties Union of Idaho filed with the U.S. Department of Justice.
It’s part of a broader pattern where officials disproportionately targeted and punished Latino students for clothing that officials deemed gang-related, the ACLU alleged in August 2023. The organization said the district hurt students’ First Amendment rights and their ability to get an education.
The Justice Department opened an investigation into Nampa schools. But soon after President Donald Trump took office, the department notified Nampa that it had ended the investigation, according to an email obtained via a records request.
“Our closure of this investigation does not preclude future inquires/investigations by the Department,” two government attorneys wrote to the district on Jan. 29.
The school district declined an interview but said in a statement: “We are focused on moving forward with our mission and vision, supporting every student, staff member, and our community.” The district also said that it has not made any dress code or gang policy changes since the investigation was dismissed.
The district has a policy against gang activity, including wearing anything that indicates gang membership, according to the ACLU’s complaint. However, the language is vague, giving “broad discretion” to ban any item police or staff think is gang-related, the ACLU said.
Law enforcement’s definition of gang attire included flannel shirts, Boston Red Sox baseball caps, Nebraska Cornhuskers clothing and khaki pants or shorts, according to the ACLU.
Latino students can then face consequences like a disciplinary record, suspensions or missing class because they were sent home for the day, the ACLU of Idaho said.
The ACLU aid its research showed that the district’s policies suppressed freedom of speech and were unequally enforced, spokesperson Rebecca De León told the Idaho Statesman.
“(We) call on the school district to do the right thing and change these problematic and racist policies without having to wait for the federal government to command them to do so,” De León said by text. “Our schools should be a safe haven for all students to learn, and our research indicates that school administrators are failing their Latino students.”
The investigation ended as Trump began making big changes to the Justice Department.
Once Trump took office again, he signed two executive orders to end the “Weaponization of the Federal Government” and “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing.” Trump’s orders directed the attorney general, the department’s head, to review its actions and to end federal programs, positions or actions related to diversity, equity and inclusion.
About a month after the investigation was dropped, on Feb. 26, Nampa School District officials met with the executive director of Nampa’s Breaking Chains Academy of Development, Luis Granados. The Canyon County nonprofit aims to help high-risk youth successfully transition to adulthood.
Gregg Russell, Nampa’s superintendent, wrote in an email chain obtained via a records request that Granados helped show that there’s a balance between preventing gang activity and students expressing their culture.
“Expecting a young kid to choose puts them in a no-win situation,” Russell wrote. “A different perspective is always helpful to hear.”
Granados did not immediately return a request for comment. The Justice Department did not return a request for comment submitted via its media inquiries form.
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