Laramie County School District Number One’s (LCSD No. 1) governing board has passed a resolution decrying recent racist incidents reported in Cheyenne schools.
Cheyenne is home to F.E. Warren Air Force Base. The children of non-white air force members stationed there have faced "relentless" racist harassment in Cheyenne schools, according to reports and comments during a recent local school board meeting.
The LCSD No. 1 School Board heard from base leadership and others concerned about the reports.
Cheyenne Mayor Patrick Collins weighed in as well. He told the school board he had started investigating the claims and eventually had a meeting with Air Force base leaders and the parents of children who were being harassed.
"During this meeting, I heard directly from an airman whose high school-aged daughter was called the N-word on the first day of school as she got off the bus," Collins said. "The harassment was relentless, and after three days of school, she decided to do school in a virtual setting."
There was lengthy discussion among school board members on both process and wording. Some board members said they didn't have adequate time to consider the resolution before being asked to vote on it. Trustee Christy Klaassen said it was important not to ban religious points of view.
"I think some people have concerns," she said. "'What if I say something that my values are different from another person's values? – am I going to get expelled from school?' We're not talking about the use of the N-word or something like that. We're talking about maybe a religious point of view."
The board passed the resolution unanimously. The resolution does not make any new rules, but simply reiterates the district's commitment to enforcing its current policies on intimidation and harassment.
