Immigration News 2016: Immigrant Students Allegedly Denied Education in New York School District
A 15-month investigation conducted by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's office found one Long Island School District denied enrollment to unaccompanied immigrant students.
The initial inquiry began in October 2014 when Schneiderman launched an internal review of various school districts in Rockland, Nassau, Westchester and Suffolk counties. Blatant discrimination was found at Long Island's Westbury District, where undocumented children, primarily from Central and South America, were either delayed or outright denied admission.
"Education is the bedrock of our American democracy, and every child in our country - no matter where they were born -- deserve the chance to attend school and seek a diploma," Schneiderman said in a press statement. "I am pleased that the Westbury District has agreed to come into compliance with the law and that I will also provide additional services to any student who was, until now, unable to enroll."
Questionable practices -- those of requesting Social Security numbers, debating a student's country of birth, and excluding English language learners age 16 or older from attending high school -- lasted over three years. At least two dozen students eligible for the district's only high school were told they were too old, many forced to toggle between programs with limited academic offerings.
"We will continue to work tirelessly with school districts across New York State to ensure that every child is treated equally and has full access to the tools needed to become productive members of society," said Schneiderman.
Westbury joins 21 other school districts in reaching agreements with the attorney general. Among the new requirements are the need to develop new enrollment procedures, provide compensatory educational services to students affected between 2012 and 2015 and maintain records of district denials and reasons they were denied until March 2018.
Steven Choi, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition, said the non-profit organization will work with Schneiderman to ensure education is provided for all students, regardless of their citizenship status.
"As recently arrived Central American children started settling on Long Island, we started to see them be deliberately shut out of basic educational opportunities -- being able to enroll in local schools, or accessing academic materials that would help them graduate on time," Choi said in a statement.
Choi added, "We commend Attorney General Eric Schneiderman for making sure school districts across New York are complying with state and federal laws that ensure recently arrived immigrant children are given the rightful opportunities to be their best selves in the country they now call home."
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