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Parents and students tell Lancaster trustees they don’t feel safe; advocates raise IEP accuracy concerns
Summary
During public comment parents and students described assaults and ongoing bullying, criticized recent parent‑advisory language changes as weakening parental voice, and an advocate said a staff member misrepresented IEP graduation pathways to a parent.
Multiple parents, students and advocates used the board’s public‑comment period to press the Lancaster School District for stronger safety measures, clearer accountability, and accurate information about special‑education pathways.
A student speaker said she does not feel safe at school and urged the district to take stronger measures to prevent repeated incidents: "I don't feel safe at school ... I want adults to step in before things get out of control," the student said.
Parent Natasha Dushawn told trustees that recent changes to parent advisory language "do not strengthen student safety or a parent's voices. It weakens it," and urged the district to provide transparency, accountability and written corrective actions rather than procedural wording changes.
Rosalind Ward, a parent, described multiple incidents involving her children and said disciplinary responses had been insufficient; she cited a recent fatal assault elsewhere as a cautionary example and argued that the district must act before harm escalates. "No parent should have to wait for irreversible harm before effective protections are put in place," Ward said.
Advocate Raquel Derfler, a parent advocate, said she observed a district staff member tell a parent inaccurately that students with IEPs "get a piece of paper" rather than outlining the four graduation pathways available under California rules. Derfler said the statement to the parent was "patently false" and urged trustees to ensure staff understand federal and state special‑education protections.
Trustee response: Trustees acknowledged commenters’ concerns and said staff will continue outreach, visits and communications. No formal policy action was taken in the meeting; members encouraged engagement through advisory channels and indicated staff follow‑up would continue.
Why it matters: Testimony alleges ongoing safety and equity issues that affect student wellbeing and parent trust in district processes. Trustees and staff face pressure to clarify procedures, improve supervision and ensure accurate IEP guidance.
