Office for Civil Rights investigators are expected in Chattanooga this month after three discrimination complaints were filed against the local school system.
The complaints against Hamilton County Schools were filed by the local chapter of the NAACP, the Hill City Neighborhood Association and Charles Bikas, the parent of a student who lives near Normal Park Museum Magnet School.
“Through a conversation two weeks ago, they did confirm that they are in the process of handling the complaints,” said Valoria Armstrong, local NAACP president. “Some of the things we noted in the complaint, it’s going to warrant them to come out and view some of the concerns.”
Armstrong said investigators told her they would be in Chattanooga sometime this month, but haven’t confirmed an exact date.
Hamilton County Schools spokeswoman Danielle Clark said administrators had not been notified about any visit and declined further comment.
The Office for Civil Rights is part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Attempts to reach officials at the Atlanta office Tuesday were unsuccessful.
According to Armstrong, investigators wanted a firsthand view of concerns listed in the NAACP complaint such as conditions of the track at Howard School of Academics and Technology and the lockers and bathroom facilities at Orchard Knob Middle School.
NAACP officials stated that the track and facilities at Orchard Knob were below standard compared with facilities at other schools.
The organization also complained about asbestos at Brainerd High School and blacks and poor whites who live near Normal Park Museum Magnet school being rezoned so they are not allowed to attend the school in their neighborhood.
Some members of the Hill City Neighborhood Association, a North Chattanooga group, filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Hamilton County Department of Education, saying the rezoning proves that Normal Park excludes poor white and black children, said Bikas, the parent of a student who lives near the school but does not attend.