Izzy death sparked widespread outrage and more questions about what the Davis School District had done. of allegations of bullying.
In a recently released county-commissioned investigation report, three people review team learned that classmates and teachers told Izzy that she smelled of her and needed to swim, but found there is no “direct evidence” that the girl was bullied on the basis of her race or disability.
review team noted that “Issues relating to race, disability and poverty sometimes overlap, and when they do, it can make it even more difficult already difficult situations. Breaking out can be very difficult. one from others”.
“When student told Izzy that she needed to wash her hair, this comment could be taken out out of racial animosity, could be a harmless observation, or could be a disguised insult to poverty,” the report says. says.
Conclusions show, however, that the school failed protect Izzy by firing and not investigating in timely her mother’s assertion that Izzy was being bullied.
Report also found that Foxboro employees don’t show “current knowledge” of area definition of “bullying”, and that the school created an atmosphere “in what bullying… might go unnoticed, uninvestigated and unresolved.”
Tyler Ayres, attorney representing Tichenor family, declined to comment for This story. He previously told CNN, family looking for out teachers and school authorities to report that Izzy was repeatedly teased and felt that she was being ignored.
Izzy mother, Brittany Tichenor-Cox, did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.
Neither Ayres nor Izzy mother agreed to participate in independent school district reviewReport says.
The Davis School District said in a statement that it is revisiting the report’s recommendations and extends its condolences to Izzy. family.
“We take this seriously. We promise to continue our ongoing and extensive efforts to create a welcoming environment for all the students in Davis School District,” the statement said.
Report: Izzy was not subjected to ‘overt’ bullying for be black or autistic
School received reports of allegations of bullying, but this took months for employees to create official record and only did so after learning that Izzy had attempted suicide. says.
Tichenor-Cox reported three incidents beginning with in September of 2021 including incident in whom Sister Izzy allegedly scolded student- the message says.
Tichenor-Cox reached out school officials saying the same student allegedly threatened her children and told them he had a gunReport says. School staff reviewed surveillance video and searched the premises. student backpack three days later, concluding that they could not support allegations, the report said.
A week later, Tichenor-Cox said: “The same student called Sister Izzy “the N-word” and touched her.” confirm alleged incident after watching surveillance video and talking with two “potential witnesses,” the report says.
However, school officials determined what it looked like”more more likely than not” that the confrontation happened and decided to suspend the student by forbidding him to have breakfast in school cafeteria, and do both sides — student and Tichenor children — sign agreement according to which avoid together. The report doesn’t say if Izzy knew about it. of or witnessed alleged incidents.
The school informed the district that it could need conduct an investigation into racial bullying, but did not specifically mention the Tichenors.
While the report says none of in more more than 40 school staff and students interviewed for investigation recalled that Izzy was ‘obviously’ bullied for Being black or autistic, many students and teachers said. made comments about her hygiene.
Tichenor-Cox complained to the teacher that one of Classmates taunted Izzy by telling her that she smelled and that she needed to wash her hair, the report said. says.
BUT special education teacher told review team that she told Izzy she smelled it and asked her if she had taken a shower, the report said. At one point, Tichenor-Cox complained about the teacher telling the class they “sniffed” and said that Izzy sprayed Febreez. on himself before going to school after hearing those comments, the report said.
Independent review also noted that there are no records show any diagnosis of autism for Izzy. Her mother contacted the school administration for grade in the fall of 2020, the message says, but she never brought Izzy in for required monitoring and testing. Her mother made another request for grade in September of 2021, which was held in October, but the evaluation had not yet been completed when Izzy died, the report said.
Based on on their report team encourages the school district to train its staff on how to identify and address bullying, conduct classes on diversity and equity, and “trauma-informed poverty education”.
Foxborough Elementary should also establish clear protocols for record- management and reporting of bullying, report says.
Head of Utah of Black Lives Matter said in stating that they were “disappointed but not surprised” by the report’s findings.
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