Enact Javits' Law : Protect newcomer students in American schools
Le problème
No child’s identity should put them at risk in a new environment.
To: The Hon. Kathy Hochul, Governor of New York, and Members of the New York State Senate and Assembly
We call upon Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature to consider the introduction and enactment of Javits Law — The Newcomer Student Protection, Cultural Education & School Safety Act, in memory of 15-year-old Javits Frimpong.
On October 29, 2026, Javits Frimpong, a 15-year-old boy who had moved from Ghana to New York approximately one year earlier, was fatally shot in the Bronx.
His father has publicly described Javits's experiences of bullying at school and reports that he had raised concerns with school officials.
The investigation into Javits's death is ongoing. The connection, if any, between the reported bullying and the fatal shooting has not been established.
His death has nevertheless brought renewed attention to an urgent question:
Are our schools doing enough to protect children entering an unfamiliar country, culture and education system?
We are calling on New York State legislators to consider introducing Javits Law — The Newcomer Student Protection, Cultural Education & School Safety Act.
The proposed legislation would establish six core protections:
1. Newcomer Transition Support
Guarantee newly arrived students a minimum of 22 months of individualised academic, language, social and cultural transition support, with formal assessments every academic semester and flexible access to mainstream or dedicated transitional classrooms, based on educational needs and assessed safety risks, while avoiding unnecessary prolonged separation.
2. Enhanced Safeguarding
Require schools to assess, monitor and respond to risks of bullying, threats, intimidation and targeted harassment against newly arrived students throughout their transition period, with additional safeguarding measures where necessary.
3. Accountability for Targeted Criminal Acts
Examine stronger criminal-law provisions for serious offenses deliberately targeting students because of their actual or perceived immigration or newcomer status, while respecting due process and existing juvenile law.
4. Institutional Accountability
Establish clear reporting, investigation and intervention procedures, including semesterly safeguarding reviews and independent oversight where schools repeatedly fail to fulfil their safeguarding obligations.
5. Family Protection and Communication
Guarantee accessible reporting channels, language assistance and meaningful family involvement in safeguarding decisions, classroom placements and semesterly assessments throughout the minimum 22-month transition period.
6. World Culture Education
Incorporate age-appropriate world culture education into American school curricula, supported by multicultural literature collections in school libraries and dedicated teacher training, to promote global awareness, mutual understanding and cultural inclusion.
This final pillar recognises that integration must work in both directions: newcomers should be supported in understanding their new environment, while the wider school community should have opportunities to understand the world from which their classmates come.
Our request
We ask the New York State Legislature to review this proposed framework, consult immigrant families, educators, child-protection experts and civil-rights organisations, and consider introducing legislation that strengthens newcomer protection and school-wide cultural education.
We further request that the proposal be considered alongside existing efforts to strengthen the Dignity for All Students Act.
No child should have to abandon their cultural identity to belong in a new country.
No child’s identity should put them at risk in a new environment.
In memory of Javits Frimpong, and in the interest of every child beginning a new life, we invite citizens in the United States and around the world to express their support for this legislative review.
Javits Law is a proposed legislative initiative, not an enacted law. The campaign is independent unless and until formal partnerships or family authorisation are established.
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Le problème
No child’s identity should put them at risk in a new environment.
To: The Hon. Kathy Hochul, Governor of New York, and Members of the New York State Senate and Assembly
We call upon Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature to consider the introduction and enactment of Javits Law — The Newcomer Student Protection, Cultural Education & School Safety Act, in memory of 15-year-old Javits Frimpong.
On October 29, 2026, Javits Frimpong, a 15-year-old boy who had moved from Ghana to New York approximately one year earlier, was fatally shot in the Bronx.
His father has publicly described Javits's experiences of bullying at school and reports that he had raised concerns with school officials.
The investigation into Javits's death is ongoing. The connection, if any, between the reported bullying and the fatal shooting has not been established.
His death has nevertheless brought renewed attention to an urgent question:
Are our schools doing enough to protect children entering an unfamiliar country, culture and education system?
We are calling on New York State legislators to consider introducing Javits Law — The Newcomer Student Protection, Cultural Education & School Safety Act.
The proposed legislation would establish six core protections:
1. Newcomer Transition Support
Guarantee newly arrived students a minimum of 22 months of individualised academic, language, social and cultural transition support, with formal assessments every academic semester and flexible access to mainstream or dedicated transitional classrooms, based on educational needs and assessed safety risks, while avoiding unnecessary prolonged separation.
2. Enhanced Safeguarding
Require schools to assess, monitor and respond to risks of bullying, threats, intimidation and targeted harassment against newly arrived students throughout their transition period, with additional safeguarding measures where necessary.
3. Accountability for Targeted Criminal Acts
Examine stronger criminal-law provisions for serious offenses deliberately targeting students because of their actual or perceived immigration or newcomer status, while respecting due process and existing juvenile law.
4. Institutional Accountability
Establish clear reporting, investigation and intervention procedures, including semesterly safeguarding reviews and independent oversight where schools repeatedly fail to fulfil their safeguarding obligations.
5. Family Protection and Communication
Guarantee accessible reporting channels, language assistance and meaningful family involvement in safeguarding decisions, classroom placements and semesterly assessments throughout the minimum 22-month transition period.
6. World Culture Education
Incorporate age-appropriate world culture education into American school curricula, supported by multicultural literature collections in school libraries and dedicated teacher training, to promote global awareness, mutual understanding and cultural inclusion.
This final pillar recognises that integration must work in both directions: newcomers should be supported in understanding their new environment, while the wider school community should have opportunities to understand the world from which their classmates come.
Our request
We ask the New York State Legislature to review this proposed framework, consult immigrant families, educators, child-protection experts and civil-rights organisations, and consider introducing legislation that strengthens newcomer protection and school-wide cultural education.
We further request that the proposal be considered alongside existing efforts to strengthen the Dignity for All Students Act.
No child should have to abandon their cultural identity to belong in a new country.
No child’s identity should put them at risk in a new environment.
In memory of Javits Frimpong, and in the interest of every child beginning a new life, we invite citizens in the United States and around the world to express their support for this legislative review.
Javits Law is a proposed legislative initiative, not an enacted law. The campaign is independent unless and until formal partnerships or family authorisation are established.
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Pétition lancée le 30 octobre 2026