St. Louis, Missouri – Following a harrowing incident in a Missouri school district where a teenage girl was brutally attacked by another student, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has initiated an investigation into the matter. Bailey revealed to Fox News Digital that the Hazelwood School District is refusing to cooperate with the investigation. The focus of the investigation is on how the district’s diversity, equity, and inclusion programs may have contributed to safety failures in the wake of the violent attack.
Bailey’s office emphasized the need for Hazelwood to provide an explanation to parents and the community regarding the role of these programs and safety deficiencies in the incident. The school district, however, has responded by disputing the accuracy of Bailey’s investigation and criticizing his approach. Cindy Reeds Ownsby, an attorney for the district, accused Bailey of sending error-filled correspondence to intimidate and threaten school officials.
In the midst of the back-and-forth between Bailey and the school district, Ownsby pointed out that the fight in question did not take place during regular school hours, nor on school property. She questioned the relevance of the presence of school resource officers in preventing incidents that occur off school grounds after school hours. Additionally, Ownsby raised concerns about Bailey’s assumptions regarding race and the motivations behind the investigation.
Bailey, in response, clarified the nature of the investigation and cited legal requirements for the school district to provide records related to the incident. He underscored the importance of following state laws and addressing the allegations in a timely manner. The investigation will seek to determine if the school district violated Missouri’s Human Rights Act, which guarantees residents the right to be free from discrimination.
The ongoing dispute between Bailey and the Hazelwood School District highlights broader issues surrounding student safety, racial dynamics, and the implementation of diversity programs in educational institutions. The outcome of the investigation will shed light on the accountability of the district and the implications of promoting racial ideology over student safety. As the investigation progresses, stakeholders await further developments in this concerning case.