The Minneapolis public school board will decide through a vote on Tuesday whether to terminate the contract for services with the US city's police department following the brutal killing of an African-American man in police custody, which incited rage among the country's population and concerns over child safety in public schools
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd June, 2020) The Minneapolis public school board will decide through a vote on Tuesday whether to terminate the contract for services with the US city's police department following the brutal killing of an African-American man in police custody, which incited rage among the country's population and concerns over child safety in public schools.
"We will bring this resolution before the full board on 6/2 [June 2]. MPS [Minneapolis Public Schools] cannot align itself with MPD [Minneapolis Police Department] and claim to fight institutional racism. We cannot partner with organizations that do not see the humanity in our students. We cannot be neutral in situations of injustice," Minneapolis School Board Director Josh Pauly tweeted last week.
The Minneapolis Federation of Teachers also called on the school board to cut financial ties with the local police and terminate the district's contract with the law enforcement body.
According to the drafted resolution published on Tuesday, the "recent actions of officers in the Minneapolis Police Department run directly counter to the values the District seeks in partners; and ... the District has decided the current contract and any continuing contract for services with the Minneapolis Police Department do not align with the priorities of the District's equity and social emotional learning goals."
The document added that Minneapolis Public Schools were committed to eliminating any forms of institutional racism to provide students with a safe and healthy environment.
"SO, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of Directors, Special School District No. 1, terminates the Contract for Services with the Minneapolis Police Department for the services of School Resource Officers, and directs the Superintendent to take action necessary to terminate the contract," the resolution read.
Violent protests and clashes with the police have been ongoing across the United States since last week, with demonstrators protesting against police brutality and racism following the death of George Floyd. Floyd was detained in Minneapolis last Monday over allegedly paying for cigarettes with a counterfeit bill. During the arrest, white police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for several minutes before the detainee became unresponsive.
In an official medical report, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner in the US state of Minnesota ruled Floyd's death a homicide.
The police officers present at the scene were fired, and Chauvin has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
