Sandburg students and alumni recount experiences of racism, sexism and other bigotry at the school via Instagram
Sandburg principal: Previous equity and belonging efforts are initial steps, and "what we do next as a school community is even more important"
Dozens of students and alumni of Carl Sandburg High School have shared their experiences of racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, Islamophobia and other bigotry that they say prevails within the walls of the Orland Park school.
Students took to Instagram to submit their stories to an account called @thecshsexperience. Since its first post on July 2, the account has received an outpouring of submissions detailing what students and alumni paint as a high school that lacks social justice awareness, has few staff of color and an administration that issues empty handed statements in response to student concerns.
The approximately 50 stories that have thus far been featured on the Instagram account depict the high school of nearly 3,000 students as a place that doesn’t take student reports seriously, doesn’t hold teachers accountable for their actions and a culture in which some students don’t feel welcome or safe.
A screenshot of the @thecshsexperience Instagram account
The creator of the account, an incoming senior at Sandburg, said they hope “the current social movements will have an impact on Carl Sandburg High School. Now that the spotlight is being held on social justice, it is definitely the time for school officials to open up conversations on how to keep their learning community safe and inclusive.”
“Although my goals and hope is for this platform to positively change the CSHS environment, it is always difficult to tell if adults would take a platform made by a student seriously, or if the issues addressed will again be met with the empty promise of no longer tolerating bigotry,” the creator added.
In a statement to the Blueprint, Sandburg Principal Dr. Jennifer Tyrrell wrote: “All members of the Carl Sandburg High School community have the responsibility to treat people with dignity, respect, and love. As a school community, we are committed to facilitating training, opportunities for growth and learning, and collaborative conversations with all stakeholders regarding equity, inclusion and belonging for all Sandburg students as it relates to race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, etc.”
Tyrrell continues: “We recognize that each member of our school community has an opportunity to use their voice to make a positive impact on the culture within our school and our community. We will continue to work with our students, staff, families, and the community in order to continue to create an inclusive school culture that celebrates our diversity, emphasizes belonging, and prioritizes social justice and equity within our school and community.”
The account about Sandburg is part of a larger nationwide movement, from California to Texas to New Jersey and in between, as the New York Times and other news outlets have reported.
“Over the past few weeks, as the Black Lives Matter movement has grown following outrage over the killing of George Floyd, high school students have leveraged every social media platform to call out their peers for racist behavior,” the Times writes. Closer to Sandburg, students and alumni of Minooka Community High School have taken to Google Docs, Forbes reports.
The account about Sandburg was created by a student, whose name was not shared for privacy reasons, who has experienced firsthand the bigotry at the school. “I’m the child of an immigrant, a POC [person of color], a woman, and an LGBTQ+ community member. So, it isn’t uncommon for me to hear statements targeted at me that are rooted in bigotry,” the student said in a message to the Blueprint.
“Because of my own experiences and because people have finally stopped looking away from the harsh reality of bigotry, I thought it would be the perfect time to create a platform to address the bigotry within the walls of my own school,” the student added.
The student characterized the dozens of responses as “heartbreaking to read.”
All names were censored on the account’s posts. The account creator put the Blueprint in contact with some of the students who posted.
In a nearly 1,500-word response to the Blueprint’s 20 questions emailed to Tyrrell and D230 Superintendent Dr. James Gay, Tyrrell did not address specific incidents detailed in the Instagram account.
In many of the posts, students recounted bigoted actions and words of other students.
One student wrote that they have blocked out their sexual identity — “I don’t embrace myself, or at least that part of me” — because “of the ignorant people who walk in my own school’s hallways.”
In a message to the Blueprint, one student wrote they “felt compelled to share my experience because i was inspired by other people’s stories.”
The student continues: “i want the readers to understand that so much of the bullying is ‘underground.’ you never hear it to your face, it’s always through somebody else or on a Twitter feed. it’s shameful.”
The student, who currently attends Sandburg, emphasized how technology and social media are used for bullying, “because it plays a huge part in my school’s culture.”
Another student, who says they have been sexually assaulted, wrote in one of the posts that they hear jokes about rape “or degrading things about women in general” almost every day.
One student wrote Sandburg should “be more aware and welcoming of mixed race students, as a lot of mixed students feel unwelcomed in both of their races.”
In her statement, Tyrrell wrote that equity and belonging “are the foundation for all other efforts, improvement areas, and programs” at the school. “We firmly believe that belonging precedes achievement and that in order for students to achieve they need to feel a sense of belonging and connectedness within their school community. We also believe that the diversity of our school community is a strength,” she added.
In one account, a student is overheard saying they told a student wearing a hijab that they “wanted to rip her head scarf off and throw it in the trash.” In another instance, a student wearing a hijab said she admired the singer Billie Eilish, and “one freshman in the back thought it was appropriate to say ‘at least billie doesn’t wear a hijab.’”
One student, who chose to sit during the pledge, was “essentially harassed every Wednesday in my third hour ap euro class” by a group of boys who “took it upon themselves to remind me that i’m an idiot and i should be standing up ‘out of respect for our soldiers.’”
Multiple students expressed instances of homophobia, including a scene in which a group of students say under their breath: “God I hate Flamboyant Homosexuals.”
Another student said they didn’t report homophobic and transphobic comments made by a classmate to the dean/school “cause we knew it was useless.” Another student said they shouldn’t be the “first person as a freshman in high school to explain to others what bisexual orientation is,” noting their “one semester of health class did not cover gay and lesbian couples and how they need to be safe.”
Greyson Sloan, a transgender student who uses they/them pronouns, told the Blueprint they shared multiple stories on the Instagram account because “I don’t feel safe or respected in my school.”
“And I should.”
Sloan said they shared accounts of a classmate who refused to call them by name, a teacher who made them lose their passion for music, a classmate who called them “disgusting and stupid behind my back for being trans” and a kid who told them they’re “not Mexican enough” because they’re mixed race.
Most of the incidents shared on the Instagram account don’t explicitly state when they happened, but two specifically mention scenes that occurred as the coronavirus pandemic became more visible in the US in March.
Students in a locker room threw hand sanitizer at an Asian student, according to one of the posts. A separate student, who messaged the Blueprint, confirmed the event and said they emailed the school about it. The administration kept quiet about it, the student wrote to the Blueprint.
In an email reply to the student, verified from a screenshot, the school writes in part: “I am currently working with members of the Sandburg Administration and PPS team to follow up on this situation. I will not be able to share specific information, but please trust that we are taking the necessary steps.”
In another story, a student recounts a classmate turning around to talk to the person next to them to say he would “‘beat the living sh*t out of any asian’ that went near him.” The student goes on to write: “he caught me looking and it took about ten seconds for him to register that i was asian.”
At the school’s annual International Fest — an assembly meant to celebrate cultural groups through dance — students in the audience could be heard making racist remarks, according to another post.
Another student shared that a boy in her English class asked if she were Latina. She replied “yes,” and he went on to sexualize and stereotype her and then “groped my thigh.” “I froze from shock,” the student wrote.
The student who shared the post, Liana McAuliffe, wrote to the Blueprint that she shared her experience “in hopes the people who read them could be more mindful/considerate.”
“To be a female is hard & scary sometimes. But to also have brown skin, it just makes things worse,” McAuliffe wrote. McAuliffe, who identifies as half white half Latina, said “More times than I can count, I’ve been hyper sexualized at school.” She’s been told she has “that Latina body” and is a “fiesty Latina.”
“The list goes on,” she wrote.
Another student wrote in one of the Instagram posts: “Sandburg is a cool school filled with diverse looks and sexualities,” but they go on to say some students are “toxic and are not elite students :(”
Sandburg administrators commonly promote an “Elite Daily” culture in communications, social media posts and in person.
In her statement, Tyrrell writes: “Our Elite Daily culture is built on the foundation of connecting people, developing strong and positive relationships, supporting and serving others, setting high expectations, prioritizing belonging within our school community, and emphasizing a student experience in which students experience growth in all areas of their lives.”
Tyrrell highlighted strategic efforts the high school took last academic year with students. The school partnered with the Core Collaborative and worked with consultant Trent Day Hall and the IncludEd program, which Tyrrell said is “aligned to social justice standards and is designed to support schools and teams as they move through a journey that ensures excellence with equity for all learners.”
Work with the Core Collaborative’s Hall began in December “when 100 students representative of the demographic make-up of Carl Sandburg High School and 20 staff members participated in a rich dialogue about diversity, belonging, dignity, effective communication, and reflection about our school climate and culture,” Tyrrell wrote in her statement.
The Carl Sandburg Administrative Team had group conversations with a Black student advisory group last school year, Tyrrell noted. The conversations included discussions about curriculum, instructional resources and the “importance of diversifying our staff so that it is more reflective of our student body.”
“As a result of the conversations, I and other members of our leadership team had the opportunity to strengthen relationships with several student leaders and I could not be more proud of our students’ willingness to share the impact that race has on their experiences as Sandburg students,” Tyrrell wrote.
In the 2019-20 school year, a Black Student Union was established, Tyrrell said, noting she looks forward to further work with the group “as we stand with our black students and families in saying that racism is not only unacceptable but has no place in our school community.”
Student leaders also attended the Student Organized Against Racism Conference at Northwestern University, Tyrrell said.
Tyrrell noted she’s been dedicated to improving equity since stepping into the role of principal two years ago.
“As I have shared since becoming the principal of Carl Sandburg High School, my love for each and every student will continue to drive the development of our plans for achieving equity within our school community,” Tyrrell wrote. “I look forward to continuing the dialogue with students, staff, and families in support of all students’ Sandburg experience.”
Stories posted to the Instagram account weren’t solely about other students and their actions. The experiences also highlighted the actions and words of teachers.
One teacher was said to have impersonated other races and spoken in Filipino and Black accents.
Another student wrote that a teacher called one friend group “the Filipino Mafia because they were all Asian.” The student goes on to write that the teacher also “always talks about how in her soul she is a obese black man who can owns a fried chicken restaurant in Louisiana. She also claims that she’s been called the N word so she knows what black oppression is like.”
Another student claims to have quit orchestra because of a teacher who repeatedly misgendered them.
Multiple students highlighted the lack of understanding about menstruation from male physical education teachers who “often belittle the pain that comes with periods.”
Another student claims that they “can’t even count how many girls i know who have been too scared to report sexual harassment” after a student posted a video of a teacher they claimed to have been staring at girls. “the administration basically brushing that entire situation under the rug made cshs feel 100% less safe for them and myself,” the student continued.
In her statement, Tyrrell wrote: “With respect to reporting, policy, and discipline, District 230 does not tolerate harassing, intimidating conduct, or bullying, whether verbal, physical, sexual or visual, that affects the tangible benefits of education, that unreasonably interferes with a student’s educational performance, or that creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive educational environment. This is the link to policy 7:20. Consistent with our commitment to See Something, Say Something, at Sandburg, students are encouraged to report claims or incidences of bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, or any other prohibited conduct to the Nondiscrimination Coordinator, Building Principal, Associate Principal, Dean of Students, Complaint Manager or any staff member with whom the student is comfortable speaking.”
In another post, a student claimed that a classmate brought to the attention of the deans a boy in their study hall who was showing other boys pictures of a naked girl they claimed to be in their class. The student claims the dean issued a warning to the student sharing the nude photograph because “he didn’t want it to negatively affect his football (get kicked off the team).”
“When the dean found out you would think, you would HOPE he reprimanded them,” the student who shared the post wrote to the Blueprint. “No. He did not.”
“Tell me this, at school the female students are harshly reprimanded for breaking the dress code. They don’t want us to be sexualized SOO badly, but when we are, what do they do??? NOTHING,” McAuliffe wrote in a message to the Blueprint.
Another student wrote: “one english teacher told me that i was better fit for driving a taxi cab than studying sociology.”
Another post addressed a video made by the school’s fan section, called Superfanz, for a “fiesta” themed basketball game. The post claimed the students in the video were “white kids wearing ponchos, eating taco bell, holding mexican flags, and had mariachi music in the background.” The following day, the student writes, seniors in their class were talking about the video in which “white kids saying that people get offended too easily, how they just wanted to have fun, and just more justifications for why it was ok.” The teachers, the student claimed, also joined in the conversation and were “saying the exact same things as them and how ‘sad’ they were they couldn’t have a fiesta night.”
Each story posted on the Instagram account has been paired with a proposed solution. The creator of the Instagram account said they ask for solutions from those who submit stories because they want to connect with student representatives and/or school officials to share the suggestions.
“What I, and many other CSHS students, would like is for staff to review the submitted problems and solutions to get a feel for what the school environment is like for a variety of students and how to make the school safer and more inclusive,” the student said.
Put simply, one student wrote: “We need to speak openly and honestly as a school about sexism, racism, etc.”
Students commonly said they would like staff to be trained or retrained on race, religion, sexuality, gender identity and implicit bias.
Tyrrell wrote in her statement that during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 school years, Sandburg staff participated in cultural competency training with licensed clinical professional counselor Dr. Issam Smeir, who “specializes in working with refugees and training corporate and school staff.”
“The primary focus of the training was to increase our overall cultural competence in an effort to create greater understanding in order to positively impact communication, relationships, classroom climate, and greater social & emotional and academic growth for our students,” Tyrrell added.
Going forward, the school will continue working with Hall, of the Core Collaborative, to “continue essential dialogue,” Tyrrell said. Certified staff members will attend a professional development with Hall to discuss the Core Collaborative’s dignity framework, which “creates awareness with relation to dignity violated, provides essential learning about microaggressions, and explores the concept of having courageous conversations within the classroom.”
Diversifying the teacher base, another common solution proposed by students who shared their experiences at Sandburg, “would be a tremendous step forward,” one student wrote. “Our faculty is extremely white dominated and it would naturally be hard for them to empathize with and help BIPOC [Black, Indigenous and people of color] students bc they have implicit biases,” the student continued.
According to the 2019 Illinois Report Card, an annual report released by the Illinois State Board of Education, the district had 488 full-time teachers. The report did not give a Sandburg-only breakdown. Of the nearly 500 teachers, 97.8% were White, 1.3% Hispanic, 0.4% Black, 0.4% Asian and 0.1% Unknown.
Tyrrell said in her statement that the administrative team has implemented strategic hiring efforts to diversify staff “in becoming more representative of our student body.”
Sandburg’s 2,865-person student body is 77% White, 10% Hispanic, 6% Asian, 5% Black, 2% two or more races, 0.3% American Indian/Alaskan Native and 0.1% Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander, according to the U.S. News & World Report 2020 rankings.
The district has also created an Educator Pipeline Committee, complete with “intentional marketing, recruiting, communication, and articulation,” the principal said. Administrators have partnered with institutions and attended job fairs across Illinois, as well as increased collaboration with post-secondary institutions for student teaching placement, the principal noted.
A screening tool has been added to the interview process, the school has increased use of its professional networks and also receives recommendations from current employees, Tyrrell said. “All strategies have been implemented in order to deepen our candidate pool, thoroughly screen candidates, and eliminate bias from hiring practices. These strategies have resulted in hiring highly qualified staff members that increase the diversity of our staff,” the principal said.
Sandburg is also working on a “long-range initiative” of a grown-your-own-educator pipeline that begins with current students who plan to go into the field of education. The school is maintaining contact with these students and working to consider student teaching/internship placement in the schools. “Additionally, we are considering hosting cohort programs for non-certified employees that are considering becoming teachers in specialized areas such as EL and Special Education,” Tyrrell added.
Another solution offered by students is adding social justice topics into class curriculum. “I think many people at Sandburg are so uninformed about social justice issues since many never have to face any injustice, so I think learning about and discussing topics such as racism, sexism, etc. in classes more in depth will force students to expand their world views,” one student wrote.
Another student said they believe there should be an African History course. “I have never been taught about anything regarding black history, and the small amount that is in our curriculum is white washed.”
One person wrote that “if those bigoted students dont belive they need to educate themselves, they arent going to make the effort to do it in their own time. It is then up to the SCHOOL to educate students (almost like its their job, right?) properly to make sure they dont become ignorant and bigoted.”
In her statement, Tyrrell wrote that D230 schools will start offering the course “Language, Power and Social Justice” this year after being developed during the 2019-20 academic year. On the district’s website, the one-semester course is described as exploring the “connections between language, power, and social justice. Using ideas and methods from linguistic anthropology, students will explore how current inequalities at the local, national, and global levels are perpetuated through language. Drawing on contemporary examples, students will learn how language can both produce and combat inequalities in many of these areas.”
School administrators have been engaging in conversations with students and staff to plan for the 2020-21 school year. The fall semester is replete with unknown variables for the time being because of uncertainties due to the coronavirus pandemic.
One idea the school is floating around is starting a Students Organized Against Racism group with student leaders, Tyrrell said.
“We have also met with student leaders from our Black Student Union organization to discuss outreach and the importance of creating space for stakeholders to dialogue about the impact that race, ethnicity, culture, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status has on our students’ experience at Sandburg,” Tyrrell said.
Tyrrell and Hall, from the Core Collaborative, will co-facilitate conversations with the BSU to “reflect, process, and continue identifying priority areas for the 2020-21 school year,” the principal said.
On a broader scale, “student leaders will begin diving into the concepts of reflective listening, facilitation, and storytelling in order to partner with our Administrative Team in leading critical conversations around equity within our school community,” Tyrrell wrote in her statement.
The path forward is critical.
“While the efforts previously outlined represent initial steps within our equity and belonging efforts, we know that what we do next as a school community is even more important,” Tyrrell wrote.
Students have shared their voices, and they’re ready for improvement.
“Bigotry is scary, it is violent, and it is traumatic,” the creator of the Instagram account said. “But, there are students looking to make change every day and create safe, healthy, and inclusive communities for everyone.”