Bennet, Senators Demand DeVos Enforce Civil Rights Laws in Schools as Incidents of Harassment and Racism Increase Following President Trump's Election

Washington, D.C. - Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet today, with eight members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos urging her to address the dramatic increase in reports of harassment, bullying, and intimidation in schools since the election of President Trump.

"We are deeply concerned that President Trump's tweets and remarks have normalized bigotry, racism, homophobia, and misogyny and that his behavior has fostered discrimination, enabled bullies, and threatened the safety of students," the senators wrote. "Schools have a responsibility to ensure that all students-no matter their race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or country of origin-feel safe in their learning environments."

In the letter, the senators noted the alarming number of hateful incidents of discrimination and harassment in schools and on college campuses across the country, including the increase in racist flyers and white supremacist recruitment. These incidents are even occurring in elementary and secondary schools, where children have built "walls" to keep classmates out or started hostile chants in cafeterias.

The senators urged the Department of Education to address discriminatory harassment by clearly condemning all incidents of hate, increasing anti-bullying efforts, and working with schools to ensure they have the necessary resources to prevent bullying and intimidation.

A copy of the letter is available HERE.