![Juniors Tad Lambert and Lily Reiff watch swim footage Jan. 19 in Room 153. Lambert and Reiff were editing their swim recap for Cougar Roundup. “[KUGR] is such a great environment for creativity but also to form amazing friends,” Lambert said. “KUGR has become like a home for me and I feel like I’ve gotten super close with so many other members.”](https://smnw.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/ejohnson_KUGR_7-900x600.jpg)
SME students attended the December 4 SMSD board meeting wearing ski masks with duct tape with sayings like “have our backs” or “am I next” written in red marker over their mouths.
After the board meeting, the protest continued. Fourteen East students, also close friends of Brown, joined with the KC Defender, a digital newspaper covering racial issues and the Black Student Solidarity Network to organize the peaceful protest.
A group of about 70 people held signs demanding action to protect students of color, and shouted “If not now then when? If not you then who?” Speakers with megaphones explained the situation along with a list of demands, including mandatory cultural competency for administrators, establishing transparent accountability and revising the Zero-Tolerance policy.
According to Brown and confirmed in a video leaked to the KC Defender, after confronting a fellow student at lunch for calling her friend a slave, a white East student yelled “Shut the f-up,” dropped his backpack, rapidly approached and pushed her while using the N-word. They then exchanged punches, which led Brown to sustain a broken nose. Brown says she was held in the main office for two hours before her parents were alerted of the situation and then faced a five-day out-of-school suspension.
In an interview, Brown said that she felt she was accused of starting the fight by the Shawnee Mission East administration and an onset of blame made her angry.
The East student has been charged with a felony with one count of aggravated battery and has also been suspended, though Brown does not know for how long. According to the Kansas City Star, court records show that the East student has a record of violence after being charged with two felonies and a misdemeanor in a separate case from June. The Shawnee Mission Post reported that a court hearing was scheduled for December 6.
In an emotional interview conducted by FOX4, Brown expressed her fear of returning to school.
“I don’t feel safe enough to go back, where this could happen again and next time it could be worse,” Brown said.
Students and administrators remain at a standstill as to what the next move is.
