Youth from the grassroots organization Gender JUST met with Chicago Public Schools ( CPS ) leadership June 8 and received a commitment to implement the grievance process that they have been organizing around for the past year, according to an organizational press release. "This is a landmark victory," said Eric Amaya, a junior at Kelly High School and member of the Gender JUST Leadership Team. "A grievance process is a first step in ensuring that all schools are safe and affirming for everyone."
Gender JUST youth negotiated with CPS about the details of the grievance process and received an agreement that it will be based on principles of restorative justice, which emphasizes repairing the harm caused or revealed by violence through cooperative processes that include all stakeholders. CPS also agreed to Gender JUST's petition for this process to be driven by students and to include a student oversight committee.
CPS will be announcing the new grievance process at an upcoming CPS board of education meeting. Under this process, youth will submit grievances via web, phone or paper form to report incidents of violence, harassment, discrimination, oppression or any other act that makes a student feel unsafe in school. Investigators from the Equal Opportunity Compliance Office ( EOCO ) will look into grievances requiring further research, and a student oversight committee will monitor the entire process.