ST. LOUIS—Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey formally notified the Hazelwood School District (HSD) Friday of an investigation into the district’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies after an off-campus fight left a student in critical condition.
The March 8 fight was caught on tape and has gone viral, prompting news coverage from around the world.
On Monday, a family attorney identified 16 year-old Kaylee Gain as the victim in the incident, which took place near the intersection of Norgate Drive and Claudine Drive in unincorporated North St. Louis County not far from Hazelwood East High School. Gain’s attorney said she suffered from a fractured skull and brain bleeding.
A 15-year-old girl was arrested March 9 and faces assault charges in St. Louis County Family Court.
Bailey first announced his plans for an investigation in an interview Thursday with FOX News.
In a letter Friday to Hazelwood Superintendent Dr. Nettie Collins-Hart, Bailey pointed to the removal of uniformed school resource officers since the 2021 school year as a concern. “The absence of SROs on the scene is directly attributable to Hazelwood’s insistence on prioritizing race-based policies over basic student safety. By its actions, HSD has endangered not only Ms. Gain but the general school community writ large,” Bailey wrote.
In the wake of the George Floyd murder in Minnesota and other incidents involving police and African-American victims across the country, Hazelwood’s Board of Education adopted a “statement of solidarity” that included a pledge for diverse hiring practices and to reduce what it called “disparities around student discipline” while re-evaluating the district’s relationship with school resource officers.
The district sent Spectrum News a statement Friday saying "contrary to recent statements, HSD does not prioritize DEI initiatives at the expense of student safety. Rather, we believe that fostering an inclusive environment is essential to ensuring the well-being of every member of our school community."
The statement also said the district "takes great pride in its commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within the Hazelwood School District community. DEI is a core value that guides our efforts to create a safe and supportive learning environment for all students. By embracing diversity and promoting equity and inclusion, we are better able to prepare our students for success in an increasingly diverse and interconnected world.
"Our priority remains the safety and well-being of our students. We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within the Hazelwood School District. These values are not negotiable, and we will continue to prioritize them in all aspects of our work as community leaders."
Bailey’s investigation will look at whether the district’s policies violate the Missouri Human Rights Act. The Attorney General has asked the district to produce 12 categories of documents related to its relationships with law enforcement, along with bullying, discrimination and harassment policies. It also asks for employment records broken down by race.