This post originally appeared at https://wisconsindailystar.com/news/baraboo-schools-accused-of-holding-racially-discriminatory-focus-groups-on-racism-as-a-public-health-issue/mkittle/2023/06/14/

The Baraboo School District held focus groups as part of a “Racism as a Public Health Issue” initiative that was exclusively for black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) middle schoolers, offering the minority students in attendance a $100 gift card plus a pizza party.

According to records obtained by The Wisconsin Daily Star, the public health session was part of a $35,000 grant issued to Public Health Sauk County by Governor Tony Evers’ Department of Health Services. The “Qualitative Data for Capacity Building and Alignment” grant program is aimed at engaging with community members or organizations representing “underserved communities in an authentic way,” according to the emails.

But the exclusionary use of the grant funds is discriminatory, and it’s against the law, according to Dan Lennington, deputy counsel for the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL). Lennington said no one from the district denied that the sessions lacked inclusivity.

“Baraboo’s decision to exclude some students from a benefit based solely on race is illegal race discrimination, pure and simple,” Lennington said. “Racial segregation is never appropriate — no matter what the supposed good intentions of the district.”

WILL sought emails and other records related to the focus groups, which appear to have occurred on April 21. Lennington said the Milwaukee-based public interest law firm was contacted by a concerned parent who alleged the Baraboo School District, in conjunction with the health department, conducted the session at Jack Young Middle School.

Only certain races participated, while other races, such as whites, were excluded, according to WILL’s records request.

The point person was Treemanisha Stewart, director of the Sauk County Health Department. Emails show other area school districts discussing the initiative, including the Sauk Prairie School District and the Middleton Cross Plains School District.

“I am following up with you to let you know that during our equity consortium meeting last week we decided to not comingle children with adults for the focus group,” Stewart wrote in a Jan. 17 email to Rainey Briggs, superintendent of Baraboo Schools and others. “I would like to meet with you to discuss how we can have a focus group that is focused on minors (ages 13-17). Let me know your availability for next week or the following week to meet and discuss.”

Stewart did not return a request for comment.<

Briggs said he didn’t have anything to say about the focus groups and the discrimination allegations.

“It is what it is,” the superintendent said.

He said the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty received the requested documents and suggested that The Wisconsin Daily Star “follow-up” with WILL for the information.

Briggs sounded incredulous that he was being contacted to discuss the “Racism as a Public Health Issue” sessions on the day law enforcement officials searched for a 13-year-old boy reported missing near Devil’s Lake.

In an April 19 email to Stewart with the subject, “Gift Cards for Friday,” Briggs asked about how many gift cards were available.

“I think we have about 15 kids coming to the session. You would drop them off to Ellen at the District office and we will get them to students,” he wrote, referring to his administrative assistant Ellen Weiland.

According to documents on the DHS grant program, the purpose of the grant is to understand the impact of COVID-19 on underserved communities, “and collectively search for ideas and strategies to address barriers to health improvement.”

“The grant also aims to align decision making processes that will support and improve health outcomes for communities experiencing the disproportionate impact of health inequities,” the document states.

But the quest to improve “health inequities” using, in this case, federal COVID relief dollars, can’t employ discrimination, Lennington said.

“Baraboo should reflect on the hard lessons of the last century, which saw immeasurable pain and trauma caused by racial segregation. We cannot keep repeating the same mistakes,” the attorney said.

Baraboo’s grant project is part of the controversial social equity movement that has come under fire for discriminatory practices.

WILL has sued the Madison Metropolitan School District on racial discrimination charges after a whistleblower provided the law firm with a partial copy of an official policy stating MMSD teachers must “prioritize your African American students meeting with you first and more often.” The district refused to turn over related documents, so WILL has filed a lawsuit.

As The Daily Star reported earlier this year, the Sun Prairie Area School District used American Family Insurance grant funds to promote programs that appear to be exclusively for black students.

Documents obtained by The Star News Network show Madison-based American Family Insurance cut a check for $35,000 to fund a cross-country field trip in October for Sun Prairie East High School students to visit Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).

The district also sponsors the annual Black Excellence Achievement Makers (B.E.A.M) awards, “shining a beam/a ray of light on our Black students/adults.” In order to receive the awards, students must be members of the district’s Black Student Union.

Briggs came to Baraboo after educational stints in the Madison, Sun Prairie and Middleton Cross Plains schools districts. He also runs an equity consulting firm. Meraki Consulting, LLC “offers many unique services from equity institutes, professional development, mentoring, coaching, and mediation,” the firm’s website states.

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M.D. Kittle is the National Political Editor for The Star News Network.
Photo “Student” by Julia M Cameron.

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