Fed probe launched into New Mexico school closures

GALLUP, N.M. (AP) – A federal agency is investigating the closure of three New Mexico schools to see if the troubled Gallup McKinley County School District violated federal civil rights laws.

The Gallup Independent reports that the Office of Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education notified parent Sonlatsa Jim-Martin last week that the agency had received her complaint against the school district and would investigate.

Jim-Martin is part of a group of parents and Navajo Nation officials who believe the district made a wrong decision in closing the middle schools in Crownpoint, Tohatchi and Navajo to make up for a projected $2.5 million shortfall.

In her letter to the civil rights office, Jim-Martin alleged that the decision to close the county schools and not take any action against schools in Gallup proper amounted to discrimination against Navajo students.

Erica Austin, chief regional attorney for the civil rights office, said her office is willing to look into the matter to see if any discrimination occurred.

“These closures/consolidations are alleged to be discriminatory to Native American students in that it treats Native American students differently than white students,” she wrote in her letter to Jim-Martin.

Austin also pointed out that Jim-Martin’s complaint accused the district of failure to inform the Navajo parents who would be affected by this decision in advance, which is a violation of Title VI laws.

“Because we have jurisdiction and the complaint was filed in a timely manner, we are opening these allegations for investigation,” Austin said.

She pointed out, however, that agreeing to look into these allegations doesn’t mean that the civil rights office agrees that discrimination occurred.

Superintendent Ray Arsenault said he’s not worried about the investigation because the school district was not discriminating against anyone.

He said it made a decision based on the fact that the schools in question were underused and district officials felt it was more important to keep the district programs funded over saving a school that was less than 33 percent utilized.