Students and staff say River City High School students face repeated racial slurs and safety concerns; community urges district action

Lede: Students, teachers and community members told the Washington Unified School District Board of Education on Feb. 13 that Black students at River City High School are repeatedly subjected to racial slurs, including the n-word, and that current responses are not changing the pattern.

Nut graf: Multiple public commenters — including current students, teachers and the school’s coach — described incidents they said have created an unsafe or hostile environment for students of color. Speakers asked the district for immediate steps including clearer enforcement of policies against hate speech, staff training and increased campus support staff.

Body: Students described a pattern of harassment that they said is normalized on campus. Tyrone Reed, a River City student, said he and classmates have endured the n-word and other hateful language and asked the board to “make a change” so future students will not “have to deal with this matter.” Justice Spencer, another student, said students face exclusionary discipline and differential treatment tied to race and asked the board to address what he called routine dehumanization.

Coaches and staff said they have taken on extra work to protect students and to hold students accountable. Marcus Tribble, who identified himself as a River City coach and staff member, said team rules impose immediate consequences for use of slurs and suggested those approaches could be applied schoolwide. Several teachers, including Pamela Akahan and Tessa Hernandez, described increased incidents of hate speech and related behaviors, and credited Assistant Principal Dr. Elise Versher with taking actions that staff and students have found supportive.

Community member Andy Hook said the problem is not limited to River City and described African American students’ concerns about younger siblings and experiences at feeder schools. Hook and other speakers pressed the board to stop use of slurs on campus and to increase representation in staff where possible.

Union leaders and school-labor representatives flagged staff safety and staffing shortages. The California School Employees Association (CSEA) speaker noted that classroom and yard staff are outnumbered and that resignations among paraprofessionals continue, and asked for continued collaboration with human resources. WSTA (teachers’ association) President referenced support needs at River City and urged district and community outreach to undocumented families and other groups.

Superintendent Dr. Hildreth told the board the district is treating the students’ testimony as a call to action and noted the district’s existing work: meetings with students and staff, anti-bias training partnerships (including a REACH grant described later in the meeting), and attention to suspension and safety policy. She said the district would prioritize immediate, visible steps to support students and to bring the community into solutions.

Ending: Board members repeatedly thanked students and staff for their testimony. Trustees said they want to move from conversation to concrete actions — ranging from staff training, clarified discipline pathways, to additional campus safety staff — and requested follow-up briefings to explain next steps and timelines to the public.