'I am still furious': Izzy Tichenor's mom responds to school district statement
The mother of Isabella "Izzy" Tichenor responded publicly after Davis School District broke its silence on her daughter's death as a result of suicide.
The 10-year-old girl died after her family said she became a target of racist bullying at her North Salt Lake school.
Board president John Robison on Tuesday read a statement before a work session at the district's headquarters, saying in part that the district is establishing an independent team to review the processes it has in place. He addressed Tichenor's death and noted a U.S. Department of Justice report that accused the district of fostering an environment that encouraged systemic racism.
Robison said the district will also focus on hiring a more diverse teaching staff.
"Generally speaking, extensive resources were provided to the family since enrolling their children," he said. "In fact, the family chose to continue having their children attend our schools after moving outside the district. That was because of the relationship they had with our schools and teachers.”
Following the statement, Izzy's mother, Brittany Tichenor-Cox, posted to social media that she was "still furious."
"I wish I could say I was 'disappointed' with the statement released by the district," she wrote on Facebook. "Instead, I am still furious. The statement released today attempts to shift the issue from racism to bullying."
"Bullying is a symptom of racism," she added. "Those who feel superior or 'chosen' believe they are justified in taking from kids who don't fit the same molds as most of the others."
Brittany Tichenor-Cox wrote that the family reported their concerns of racism to school officials but those concerns were disregarded.
"The statement made by the district offends us," she wrote. "We do not believe they care more today than two weeks ago when they provided no support to Izzy. When the refused to defend or protect her."
The Department of Justice's investigation found "hundreds of documented uses of the N-word, among other racial epithets, derogatory racial comments, and physical assaults targeting district students at dozens of schools," according to a review focusing on the 2015 - 2020 school years. "The department concluded that for years, Davis’s ineffective response left students vulnerable to continued harassment and that students believed the district condoned the behavior. The department also found that Davis disciplined Black students more harshly than their white peers for similar behavior and that Davis denied Black students the ability to form student groups while supporting similar requests by other students."
Tichenor-Cox questioned why the district didn't respond to issues of racism earlier.
"Why didn't the district conclude it needed to change when the (DOJ) investigation started?" she wrote. "Why didn't they change when the findings came out? Why should I believe the problems will be fixed now(?)"
She also took issue with Robison stating that the district has been in contact with the Tichenor family throughout the ordeal.
"Rather than apologize for ignoring Izzy, they say, 'they've been in touch every day,'" Tichenor-Cox stated. "This is just not true. The district has called but we won't take their call. Izzy needed their attention. She needed the district to love her as much alive as dead. "
