A young, black mother, we will refer to as K, was recently expelled from an Ogle School located in North Dallas after a white classmate aggressively approached and verbally attacked K and another classmate as they sat quietly by themselves, conversing & waiting for class to end. After receiving a brief statement from parties involved, K was expelled while the white classmate was allowed to quietly transfer to another campus. This was not offered to the expelled student. 

K was expelled based on a "he-said, she-said" chronology of events which did not lead to adequate research to find that in reality, the black classmates were “baited” throughout class that night and then put in a position to defend themselves against an aggressive verbal attack in which both felt physically and verbally threatened. 

The white student had been a considerable disruption and cause of tension within this class throughout her time at Ogle. A source of unsavory behavior, attitude, causing unnecessary strife and discontentment, and even going as far as to personally reach out to a student outside of the classroom to verbally attack and threaten her.  In addition, she often threatened to "go off" or "fight" any students who she felt were disrespecting her and openly talked about her efforts to have her instructor fired.  

K, on the other hand, a kind, quiet, and reserved student with the mentality of “get in, get it done, go home to my family” has never been the cause for class disruption and had suffered the tragic loss of a pregnancy during the first month of school. K was told by the director of the school that she was simply doing her job and following procedure - and because she (K) had said the word "slap" after being verbally assaulted, she had no choice but to expel her.  This was even after her instructor advised the director that K had not been an issue in class and supported her statement as to the events which occurred. 

When K appealed the decision, she was contacted by the VP of education who told her that it was "her attitude" and "aggressiveness" that put her in this position.  When K explained that she was not aggressive, but simply expressing her outrage and confusion at the disparaging inconsistency in disciplinary actions taken, she was told that she could come back to the campus the following January because "no other campus [will take you] due to the nature of the expulsion." In addition, the VP of education stated that she was "still causing problems" because other students had reached out in support of her and the unfair treatment she had been subjected to - actions which she had no control over. 

Systemic racism exists within school systems, within the corporate world and is deeply ingrained in the psyche of the American people, whether we would like to admit it or not.  This school is federally funded by the department of education and should be held to the standard of other schools in regard to passive racist actions taken against certain students.  These actions are not based on facts and due diligence, but on the color of a students skin and a preconceived notion that because a person is black, that they are aggressive, unruly, disruptive and subject to harsher penalties than that of their white classmates. This sad fact is further backed by statistical, peer reviewed documents which are as recent as late 2019.

As a social and civil rights activist, and someone who feels as though it is important to use my “privilege” for good, if I see something wrong, I say something and I truly and firmly believe that the occurrence between my black classmate and white classmate is a sad example of Individual & Systemic Racism which is clearly not just within a singular school, but across the board of executives in The Ogle School. 

Help me help K get back into school in order to finish school and allow her to begin, what I can only imagine will be, a successful and happy career/business.  This will also bring awareness to the systemic racism often encountered within federally funded trade schools.  We need to see a change within the Ogle School's administrative structure.