Berwyn District 100 finds allegations of students being punished for speaking Spanish to be 'unfounded'

BERWYN – Berwyn South School District 100 has found allegations that Emerson Elementary School students were punished for speaking Spanish in class to be "false" and "unfounded," according to a district news release.

In a letter to Emerson Elementary School Principal Jean Suchy dated Aug. 24, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund Staff Attorney Steven Monroy said the office had been contacted after a teacher allegedly made third-grade students sit on the bare floor of her classroom after they spoke Spanish, while their peers sat on the carpet. The incident allegedly occurred Aug. 22, the first day of school.

The students had gone through the school's ELL program, and this was their first all-English classroom, the letter stated. The teacher allegedly told them they were not allowed to speak Spanish.

The district "thoroughly reviewed" the recent concern by analyzing past practices and investigating the reports of punishment, according to the release.

"Berwyn South School District 100 is proud of our diverse population and values and promotes bilingualism in our classrooms. Emerson Elementary School is a dual language school where students are encouraged to communicate in English and Spanish and where instruction is provided in both languages," the release stated. "We take pride in our inclusive learning environment where every student is valued, and our programs and goals are reflective of that philosophy."

Statements indicating the teacher has been removed from Emerson School due to discriminatory practices are untrue, but policy prevents the district from providing any further information on personnel matters, according to the release.

However, a news release on the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund's website stated the teacher had been reassigned to a different classroom.