A Letter to the University School of Milwaukee Community
When we decided to enroll our two young sons in the University School of Milwaukee (USM), we did so precisely because USM represented itself as having “a supportive, inclusive community built on the foundation of…Common Trust.”
As parents of biracial children, it was important to us that they learn in an inclusive environment that celebrates diversity, and we trusted USM to live up to its commitment.
We never could have anticipated that five years later USM would use the “Common Trust” to justify summarily dismissing our sons from the school. USM did so in a completely arbitrary manner with no notice, no chance to appeal, and no credible explanation for why USM would take such Draconian action against two children – children recognized by the school to be model students and, in the school’s own words, “portraits of a graduate.” We are speaking out about our experience because it is USM that has failed to live up to its Common Trust principles in its treatment of our family, and the school should be held to account for its egregious conduct.
Like parents everywhere, we are heavily invested in our children’s education, and we maintained a regular and productive dialogue with USM faculty and staff for years. When the pandemic hit and our sons were learning remotely, we had more opportunity to witness their interactions with teachers. We were surprised and troubled by the repeated use of racial and ethnic stereotypes in certain assignments. We also witnessed a disregard for children who were not physically present in class and an apparent insensitivity to socio-economic status – an issue that was put in stark relief during the pandemic.
We felt compelled to raise our concerns and communicate our perspective through the appropriate channels, just as we had done for years on a variety of other issues where we believed the school could improve – and our views had been welcomed and appreciated. We expected USM to similarly welcome our views on issues of racial, ethnic, and socio-economic sensitivity in the spirit of “Common Trust” and the stated values of a “supportive, inclusive community.” We were therefore stunned and deeply disappointed when USM’s administration reacted with sharp resistance and hostility.
It was not long after we expressed these concerns that we were informed our children were no longer welcome at USM, without any explanation as to why. Given the school’s acknowledgment that our children are blameless and were model members of the USM student body, it is evident that USM took action against them in retaliation for our advocacy on behalf of students of color and under-represented groups at USM. In uprooting our children – with no justification – from their educational home of many years, USM breached the Common Trust that it purported to uphold. The unfortunate victims of this retaliation are not only our two young sons and family, but also all other students and families of USM who are subject to unequal treatment under the Common Trust and denied the inclusive learning environment promised by USM.
For us as parents, the school’s action was devastating. Our 9- and 11-year-old sons were removed from their academic community, deprived of the friendships and relationships with teachers they’d established, and then stigmatized by many who believed they must have done something terribly wrong to justify the school’s inexplicable and cruel decision. How do we as parents explain to our children that this wasn’t their fault, but that they must nonetheless suffer the consequences?
In hindsight, we perhaps should not be surprised by what happened to our family, as we have come to learn from other families that USM has a difficult and troubled history as it relates to bias and insensitivity. We have learned of situations in which children of color have been subjected to harsher disciplinary actions than their white counterparts who engaged in similar conduct. It was not that long ago that a lesson plan included an “underground railroad” simulation in which students were required to reenact the experience of runaway slaves. We are aware of instances in which white students have regularly used racial epithets, such as the N-word; when brought to USM’s attention, administrators dismissed the seriousness of the behavior, noting that those using such abhorrent language on campus were “good kids.”
We tried a number of times to engage with USM to explain our concerns and what we thought the school could do to improve, but it became very clear that USM has no interest in accepting responsibility for the unhealthy environment it has created on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the school and is unwilling to take any meaningful action in response. We felt that we were left with no other recourse but to file a lawsuit against USM for violating its commitments to our family and to the Common Trust. While we are requesting monetary damages, this action has nothing to do with personal financial gain. This is about accountability, fairness, and doing what is right. Any money we receive as a result of this litigation will be put toward initiatives designed to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in schools.
We are deeply grateful to all of those in the USM community who have supported us. USM now has an opportunity to take ownership of its past failures, and we sincerely hope that our actions will compel USM to live up to the Common Trust and its stated mission of ensuring a supportive and inclusive environment one that ultimately will create a brighter future for all children at USM and their families.
- Craig and Kelly Robinson