South Bend school district postpones field trips for black third-graders

SOUTH BEND — South Bend Community School Corp. officials have postponed a series of field trips to area colleges that were organized by the district’s director of African-American student/parent services.

The action came after several parents told a local television station they felt the program, which was aimed at exposing black third-graders to higher education, was discriminatory since nonblack students would not be included.

The issue garnered some national media attention, too, primarily from Fox News stations. It also erupted on social media.

On Monday afternoon, a district spokeswoman confirmed two of the field trips scheduled for early this week had been postponed while the district considers ways to restructure them.

The series of field trips, Sue Coney said, had not been vetted by Superintendent Carole Schmidt prior to beginning, as is required.

At Monday evening's board meeting, Schmidt further clarified by reading a short statement saying that she'd reviewed the issue and decided that the field trips will be available to all students, regardless of race.

Also on Monday, South Bend resident Valerie Mora, who had earlier contacted at least one school board member about the issue, told The Tribune she thinks the exclusionary nature of the program could put the district at risk of being sued for civil rights violations.

“The goals are very meritorious,” she said, “but it’s a very poorly conceived idea.”

As a taxpayer, she said, she wants her contributions to be used to the benefit of all students and staff members.

Board member Bill Sniadecki, who opposed the creation of David Moss’ department nearly two years ago, said in an email last week, "I understand Dr. Moss is trying to do what he was hired to do, but that is exactly why I voted against creating this department — because of just this type of controversy ... We are in the 21st century," Sniadecki wrote, "and we should not have "Whites Only or Blacks Only" in any situation."

Moss was hired in 2013 to design, implement and support academic and social programs focused on black students and parents.

African-American students have disproportionately been suspended outside of school, labeled as special education students and issued citations by school resource officers in South Bend schools. There also is a significant achievement gap for black students in the district.

Creating Moss’ department is one major step the South Bend school system has taken to address these problems.

The field trips in question wouldn't have been the first outings specifically organized for black students in South Bend.

Washington High School has hosted a conference for African-American males with sessions on character building, community service and the importance of reading, among other topics.

And in September, more than 500 black males from South Bend high schools spent a week day attending a Busara Black Male Summit organized by Moss at Faith Apostolic Ministries.

The day’s eight speakers included a judge, a college professor and Moss himself, all of whom talked to the students about leadership, relationships, vision and partnerships.

At the time, Oletha Jones, education chair with the local branch of the NAACP, said mentoring and character-building exercises, like those that occurred at the summit, are things every student — not just black students — can benefit from.

The NAACP’s vision for Moss’ department, Jones said in September, is that it focus on changing the practices of the school corporation, “not fixing the child.”

Coney said Monday she is unsure whether future programming aimed only at black students will be approved by the superintendent.