Upset students barricade themselves, teacher in classroom

By Pashtana Usufzy

Published Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015 | 1:15 p.m.

Updated Friday, Dec. 11, 2015 | 1:09 p.m.

About 30 Valley High School students, upset over a teacher’s departure that allegedly was spurred by racial comments, reportedly barricaded themselves and the teacher in a classroom Thursday morning.

Tiffany Dickerson, the 10th-graders’ teacher whom the Clark County School District classifies as a first-year, long-term substitute, said she announced to the class that she would be moving back to Seattle following a dispute with school administration. Dickerson claims that in the 3 1/2 months she has been teaching at Valley, two teachers have made disparaging remarks about the school's high population of minority students and “ghettoizing” of the school.

After she told students Thursday would be her last day, they were upset and decided to protest by piling desks against the door about 8:30 a.m., School District Police Capt. Ken Young said.

The School District said in an email Thursday that Dickerson’s claims are unsubstantiated. Dickerson said the racial remarks had continued during lesson-planning meetings, and that she’d emailed teachers involved in those meetings asking them to move forward and focus solely on lessons. She claims she didn't receive any responses and was pulled into a meeting Wednesday, where the principal offered her a position with fewer teaching responsibilities.

Dickerson said she also was given the option of being transferred to another school. She claims that after she emailed the principal Wednesday afternoon to accept that option, it was withdrawn.

"I'm trying not to cry because I've been crying all day," she said Thursday. "It was one of the hardest things that I've had to do in my life."

The School District said in a statement Friday that Dickerson was offered the reassignment because the school hired a licensed teacher for the position.

"It is a priority for CCSD to fill as many classrooms with qualified licensed teachers," the statement said.

Dickerson claimed her status as a long-term substitute wasn't an issue until after she raised the issue of possible racism with administrators.

The students in Dickerson's 7:02 a.m. class became upset when she announced Thursday would be her last day, and several left the room to protest before school administrators, Dickerson said.

When they returned, students piled the desks in front of the door in protest, she said.

The desks did not prevent a CCSD Police officer from opening the door, Young said. The officer spoke with the students, who left the class peacefully after about 20 minutes, he said.

“There were no arrests. Everything was handled calmly,” Young said.

Dickerson was initially not allowed to leave the room and was later escorted to the principal's office by officers, she said.

The students were sent home, and administrators will meet with their parents and them, Young said. Any punishment will be done administratively, he said.

"Administrators will discuss yesterday's event with students and answer any questions or concerns they may have," the School District statement said.

Dickerson said she did not ask her students to protest but did ask them to "fight to keep good teachers here," and that she feels she was targeted for speaking up.

According to the school's 2014-15 accountability report, about 67 percent of Valley students are Hispanic, 12 percent are black and 5 percent are Asian. White students make up 11 percent of the student body.