JACL Responds to Bullying in Gwinnett Schools

The JACL sent a letter to the Gwinnett County Public Schools in Georgia questioning their inadequate response to a bias incident involving racialized and Islamophobic bullying that took place on a Duluth Middle School school bus.  A young Sikh boy was taunted and verbally harassed by his bus mates, who called him a “terrorist” and threatened to sue him for recording them on his cell phone video camera.  The boy’s demeanor and comments during the video suggest this was not an isolated incident, but rather a regular occurrence.

In a statement, Gwinnett Public Schools has characterized this incident as a “series of back-and-forth name-calling incidents that had occurred between students,” and indicated that the involved students were disciplined, including the student who was the victim of the bullying.

In its letter, the JACL stated, “Racialized bullying is a more severe offense than mere name-calling. Regardless of whether an individual is targeted due to their race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, or ability status, these incidents victimize not just the targeted individual, but an entire community…Racist name-calling contributes to creating a climate of hate, ignorance, fear, and intolerance.  JACL calls upon Gwinnett County Public Schools to condemn this expression of bigotry and work more actively to promote a climate of tolerance and ensure the physical, psychological safety of its students of color.”