A TEACHABLE MOMENT

CASE HISTORY OF RACIAL CONFLICTS IN A KANSAS HIGH SCHOOL

LITTLE RIVER, AN ALL WHITE COMMUNITY WITHOUT ETHNIC MINORITIES
STRUGGLES AND FAILS TO JOIN THE 21ST CENTURY

This index page is for the benefit of school administrators, teachers and parents who want a detailed look at a case history of problems coming out of an Indian mascot school.
More case history is being edited and will be posted..

Image from Little River High School Redskins web site, January, 1999 "We are proud to be Redskins" -citizen comment

Letter to Superintendent Dougherty, Little River superintendent of schools

School policy on religious symbols

Kansas Governor Bill Graves is asked to mediate discussions about race, ethnicity and redskins in Little River

Editorial in McPherson Sentinel

Letters from students

Letters from community

Criminal Threat #1

Criminal Threat #2

Students Arrested

Text of newspaper articles on Little River High School student arrests

McPherson County Sheriff Department investigates

Mayor Danny Stephenson "We don't have a race problem" calls for attack on Native American

Little River City Council confronted, refuses to reprimand Mayor, rejects request for dialogue on race.

"Who is to Blame?", a Sioux speaks out

Is Somebody Really Being Hurt?- Councilman Burdick ignores racial problem

Criminal Threat #2 Criminal prosecution- Did it work?
Confession, diversion and court services

Criminal Threat #1, We don't know who did it! A rape threat made at school using school computers stands without address.

FBI investigates

USDOJ investigates, files lost, professional ethics violated, complaint arrives at time when USDOJ refuses to work overtime.

Congressman Jerry Moran intervenes, requests investigation.

Little River basketball game at Burton High School, LR crowd calls "Nigger, Nigger", player spits in hand for handshake.

Civil Rights Complaint filed against Little River Redskins
United States Office of Civil Rights investigates
Failure of Civil Rights enforcement
Analysis of OCR findings

"I'll buy you lunch if you don't like our community",

Federal Government will not help your local school prepare or avert these problems.

copyright Matthew Richter, 2001