The Durham Public Schools board discussed a wide range of operational and equity challenges during this work session, with several items revealing gaps in district responsiveness to staff and community concerns.
A discrimination case involving a custodian at Riverside High School highlighted concerns about the HR department's approach to workplace justice. Community advocate Mercedes Montoya reported that when a custodian experienced repeated misgendering from a supervisor, HR offered only a transfer to another school rather than addressing the discrimination at its source. Montoya criticized the district for "penalizing people who suffer discrimination" instead of holding supervisors accountable, saying the process felt like visiting a courthouse with no solutions.
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