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Eighth grader tells Franklin board she was called ‘illegal alien,’ urges stronger protections against racism and bullying
Summary
A Forest Park Middle School student described being called an ‘illegal alien’ by a peer and said school staff punished her after she reported it. She told the board she felt isolated by a teacher’s response and urged rules to protect minority students.
An eighth grader told the Franklin School Board on March 19 that she was called an “illegal alien” by a peer and urged the district to strengthen protections against racism and bullying.
Natalia Christiansen, a Forest Park Middle School student, said the incident occurred in a Tech Ed class last week. She described subsequent treatment by a teacher that she characterized as isolating, and she said a school counselor advised her to keep quiet about the comment. Natalia said the experience left her feeling unwelcome and urged the board to adopt policies that explicitly protect groups who are not a majority.
Board response and follow-up Board members thanked Christiansen for speaking and said they would follow up. A board member told her staff would continue the conversation the next day and offered support; district staff later noted they would meet with her and follow up.
Why it matters: The remarks raise questions about student safety, staff responses to bullying allegations and the district’s processes for handling complaints about harassment or discrimination. The student asked that the district not treat ethnicity like a dress-code issue and called for no leniency for racist or bullying comments.
Ending District leaders offered to follow up with the student and the family and said they would review the matter. The board recognized the courage it takes for a middle-school student to speak at a public meeting.
