Social Justice Group Protests 'Racist Firings' In MPLS Schools

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — A Twin Cities organization is declaring victory after protesting what it believed were "racist pushouts" at Minneapolis Public Schools. The Social Justice Education Movement (SJEM) said it has documented more than a dozen cases this year where MPS employees, "particularly staff of color," "are pushed out for advocating for students."

"Minneapolis Public Schools is literally finding every way to push out people of color and those who advocate for kids, but those are the people we most need in our schools," said Michelle Barnes, an African American Special Education Assistant, in a statement. "Racist pushouts need to stop - of staff, of students, of families and communities. These are our schools, our children, we are willing to fight."

SJEM says Barnes was fired in March after expressing concerns with punishing students who "misbehaved" with cold instead of hot lunch. Barnes was told they were fired for "insubordination and attendance," the group said.

"It seems like every month you hear of people getting fired, moved schools, or just harassed til you leave," said David Boehnke, a teacher in Minneapolis and SJEM member.

School board chairwoman Rebecca Gagnon told the Star Tribune that it’s hard to verify assertions like that without breaking down employees by race.

Superintendent Ed Graff said in February that the district faced a $28 million budget gap this year, and planned for a 10 percent reduction in Central Services and a 2.5 percent trim to school allocations.

After a chaotic board meeting Tuesday, filled to the brim with protesters, the school board passed a resolution to rehire or give a formal recommendation to rehire seven educators.

"We won!" SJEM said on Facebook after the meeting. "7 staff of color got their jobs back or letter recommending rehire (as preferred)."

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