Philadelphia has reached a settlement with an illegal immigrant student and his family after a school principal inquired about the boy’s legal status, a violation of the city’s sanctuary policy.
The deal, first reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer, paid out an undisclosed sum of money to Leslie Hernandez and her son, whose name was not revealed. The settlement also requires new training on “restorative justice,” mandates “social-emotional anti-bullying lessons” for students and includes a review of harassment policies, The Inquirer reported.
The school system confirmed the deal but offered no details.
“The School District of Philadelphia has reached a mutual agreed-upon resolution that reflects our emphasis on student well-being. We refrain from commenting about personnel matters,” said Monique Braxton, deputy chief of communications.
Ms. Hernandez said she fled El Salvador to seek asylum in the U.S.
Her son went to the school principal last year after being bullied over his trouble speaking English and perceived sexual orientation. The principal called both the Hernandez boy and his alleged bully in for a meeting and, Ms. Hernandez told The Inquirer, demanded “Are these two legal or illegal?”
The principal threatened to call Homeland Security to deport them and their families if they didn’t shape up, Ms. Hernandez said.
She said the bullying escalated and after her son was injured in an attack, he wasn’t treated by the nurse and wasn’t given a translator to help him understand the way things were playing out. Ms. Hernandez tried to file a police report but the principal refused, again citing the lack of a translator, The Inquirer reported.
Ms. Hernandez went to Juntos, an advocacy group, which took up her cause.
The principal was soon removed from the school, other nonprofits got involved and the city eventually agreed to the settlement.
Philadelphia has a strict sanctuary policy that forbids city employees, including police and school employees, from asking about someone’s immigration legal status.
The city also refuses cooperation with Homeland Security when it asks that an illegal immigrant criminal be held for pickup by deportation officers. The city says holding someone based on a “detainer” request without a judicial criminal warrant would be “unlawful.”
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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