KENOSHA, Wis. – In a rare and fiery rebuke, the Urban League of Racine and Kenosha, Inc. publicly condemned the Kenosha Unified School District (KUSD) on Wednesday, accusing district leadership of fostering a toxic and discriminatory environment for students and staff.
In an open letter posted to social media, the civil rights organization declared it could “no longer remain silent” about what it called a “culture of favoritism, nepotism, and abuse” within the school system—one that they say continues to harm children while district leaders remain complacent.
“Our schools should be safe havens,” the letter reads. “Instead, under current leadership, schools have become environments where students endure terror, intimidation, and neglect.”
Signed by Urban League President and CEO James Hall, the letter offers a searing critique of KUSD’s handling of student discipline, allegations of harassment, and racial inequity. It specifically calls out the district’s Matrix policy—a discretionary code used to determine discipline—as inconsistent and harmful.
The letter asserts that the policy enables subjective enforcement, creating confusion and inequity. “Rather than protecting and guiding our children, this policy has permitted subjective interpretations that compromise fairness and safety,” the statement said.
Although the letter praises classroom teachers for continuing to educate and nurture students “despite low compensation and limited support,” it characterizes district leadership as ineffective, even complicit. It further alleges that serious incidents—including molestation and harassment—are being minimized or concealed due to internal cronyism.
“Let’s be clear: if one child is being abused or neglected in the district, then all our children are being abused or neglected,” Hall wrote, warning that misconduct in any form sets a destructive tone for the entire school culture.
The letter also links these internal dysfunctions to the recent failure of KUSD’s multi-million-dollar referendum, arguing that it wasn’t the proposal that voters rejected—it was the district’s trustworthiness.
“It’s no mystery why KUSD’s referendum failed. It wasn’t the need that was in question. It was the trust,” the letter claims.
The statement comes amid ongoing tensions within the district and follows the quiet resignation of Yolanda Santos-Adams, the Urban League’s former executive director in Kenosha, who was known for her close ties to KUSD leadership. Her abrupt departure has fueled speculation about internal disagreements over how to address inequity in local schools.
The Urban League’s call to action ends with a sharp warning: KUSD is unprepared for the growth and diversification that the broader Kenosha community is striving toward.
“Until real change is embraced and accountability is enforced, KUSD will remain a barrier, not a bridge, to progress in our growing and diverse community.”
As of Thursday morning, KUSD officials had not issued a public response to the letter.
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23 Responses
I think a DOGE needs to buzz through KUSD. Cut administration by 50%, get rid of unnecessary rules and policies and empower teachers to teach and principals to run their schools.
Surprise! A couple days late but the Kenosha Snooze had a story: “The board voted Tuesday to approve a district staff reduction of just under 43 full-time equivalent positions at a projected savings of $4.7 million. It will include 34.85 teaching positions; six administrative, supervisory and technical positions; 0.99 educational support staff positions and 1 interpreter.” I’ll bet quite a few of those teaching positions could have been saved if they cut more from the administration side.
I always knew there was at least one teacher that wasn’t working with a full load. .85
Yup. .85 needs to go
Watch the meeting. Most of the cuts are through attrition and not filling vacant positions. I agree two new non tenured teachers could be hired for 1 administrator. It does not appear anyone was laid off. Student attrition remains higher than expected. They are still insuring staff that are Medicare eligible and haven’t mentioned touching the retirement benefit of health insurance, both of which most companies in the USA have now gotten rid of due to expenses burden.
Let’s be honest here. KUSD and most urban schools are very conscientious about “graduation rates” and other numbers on the school report card.
Most urban districts will just pass all the failing students through so they don’t look bad on paper, and they don’t have to truthfully explain why certain demographics don’t learn.
In turn, these same demographics who largely are given diplomas and can’t read, write, or do math.
“Oddly”, these are the same people who most of that group are not successful and self sufficient in life.
If KUSD and all urban districts would just identify the problem publicly, and come up with a plan of action it would make society a better place for all.
Stop lying KUSD and all urban districts. Pass those who are proficient, don’t pass those who aren’t .
You’re only making them suffer by lying to them and giving them false praise for achievements they’ve never attained.
Ask a teacher within KUSD if the have ever been told to give a student a passing grade even if that child did not deserve a passing grade.
That’s like asking the wolf if he has ever eaten a sheep, and I do believe most teachers teach for all the right reasons but history tells me there are some monsters amongst the good.
I often wonder how much kusd spent rehabbing washington junior on Sheridan knowing they would probably shut it down in a year or two. So much waste at kusd
That building has some really nice new windows.
The public schools were out to panel over every school window in the ’80s. A yearlong alumni and citizen protest stopped the practice in 1986 and now several schools including the former Washington JHS have their windows restored.
Urban league is oblivious to the idea that one shitty kid can ruin education for an entire classroom
The Urban League is still a thing? Who knew.
As a very harsh critic of the KUSD School Board, Administration, and the KEA, it pains me to do this….but, I need to defend the KUSD here.
First off, this letter written by James Hall has no specific examples or concerns, no statistical evidence of discrimination, and no solutions presented. It is simply a bunch of paragraphs calling the KUSD racist using a word salad of tired code words and phrases from someone who clearly loves to hear himself talk and never gets challenged on his ignorant opinions.
So….What exactly are your concerns, James? Is it educational philosophy and methodology? Is it hiring practices? Is it student discipline? Is it graduation rates, test scores, or attendance rates? Is it the Win/Loss records of the high school basketball teams? Are you concerned about ALL student outcomes…or just the outcomes of the students from “your” community?
Having served in the KUSD, I will agree that the District does badly fail in meeting the needs of the minority community. However, the reality of that failure is likely not what James Hall thinks it is. I can tell you that for the last 30 years, building principals have been unbelievably lenient with minority students needing discipline. With discipline being tracked by Race in the district, it has been standard practice to bend over backward to avoid suspending or giving referrals to African American students. Principals are terrified of being called on the carpet by the ESC on this issue. Unfortunately, I bet that it just isn’t enough for James. I imagine that James would prefer that members of “his” community be allowed to run amok in school and disrupt everyone’s learning environment without consequence. I can tell you that KUSD has failed the minority community not by being too harsh with discipline….but, by being weak and timid in doling out appropriate and firm discipline.
So what are your other specific concerns, James? I’d love to have a dialogue with you if you have ability to have a cogent and rational conversation on district issues. Are you capable of such a discussion regarding education, or are you only able to see things through a racial prism?
If you think KUSD curriculum fails students in Reading and Math, I would agree. KUSD curriculum over the last 30 years has jumped headfirst into failed methodology by downplaying phonics and proper calculation methods in favor of strategies that hurt poor and minority students the most.
If you think KUSD fails “your” community on attendance issues….well….that is a problem in your community. Clean up your own act before blaming KUSD.
Seriously, James, let’s have a conversation on specific educational issues and outcomes in KUSD…..if you are truly serious about the best interests of ALL the children.
However, sadly, I suspect that you prefer writing letters with empty rhetoric and inflammatory race baiting instead of doing the Grown Up work of actual problem solving.
I am sure Mr.Hall has nothing but a paper trail and documentation of valid complaints before even writing such letter . I am white and can honesty say I have watched white children not be punished AT ALL for the same thing black children are severely disciplined for in KUSD schools . It is disturbing!
There is merit both in Mr. Hall’s letter and this response. As stated, it would have landed more credibility to have recited concrete examples. I believe the same standard of conduct should be expected from everyone in the schools regardless of race or, for that matter, position. But Mr. Hall for the most part touches on valid concerns, including a lack of public trust in the district and the tendency to retain and conceal bad apples instead of being assertive to get rid of them.
As I stated in a comment above, KUSD needs to make a 50% cut in administrative management positions and return control of the schools and classrooms to principals, teachers and parents.
The reasons I left Bullen Middle School was the lack of discipline and consistency and lack of support from administration. Because of an IEP plan, one student could get away with cussing me out, spitting in my food, destroying my own personal property, yet another student would be given a phone call home or even sent home for lesser behaviors. But there are discrepancies with students without IEP’s also. When I first went to work in the school in 2015, I was SHOCKED at student behavior and language. Staff is exhausted by certain students behaviors so they “let more slide” with them eventually. And I will agree with the comment that the minority students are given less consequences/discipline in fear of being chastised or accused of being called racist. The system is broken. And although there is no one way to fix the problem, starting with removing the completely disruptive and out of control students who consistently disrupt the education of many would be a solid starting place. It sounds harsh and before working within that environment I would not have held this opinion. Instead, KUSD caters to the behaviorally deficient student while allowing hard working and motivated students suffer. It’s actually very sad that our children don’t have a solid public school option here in Kenosha.
Having “served” at KUSD? What does that even mean? If you got paid you worked there, you didn’t serve.
Out of all my comments, the use of the word “served” is what you want to criticize? OK….I was employed by KUSD, but I genuinely cared about my students and did see my role as being a servant to them and their families.
For the record, I never sent a single student to my Principal(s) for disciplinary support during the entirety of my career. Not once. Were there substantial consequences for wrong behavior? Absolutely. And those consequences (and rewards) were doled out without any thought of race, gender, or the opinions of people like James Hall whose ideas and mindset serve only to lower the bar for “his” community. He is a huckster who has mastered the skill of bamboozling those he claims to represent. KUSD would be wise to ignore his race baiting nonsense.
Who is the urban league just another racist organization… And when I say racist, I mean black to whitey
The number one problem in our schools and in our society for that matter , is out of control black male teenagers. From bringing guns to our schools to daily carjackings in Milwaukee, it’s become a war zone. Don’t blame the system for the out of control fatherless black teen’s behavior.
It’s embarrassing. Stop coddling these budding criminals. Build more prisons.
It certainly didn’t help that TRAITORS passed “nafta” in 1993 and finished off the jobs that were left in the cities.
That isn’t ALL the problem but a HUGE part of it !!!
I tell you one thing–the school discriminates against white heterosexual children in favor of woke LGBTQ ideology and allowing boys in girls sports, bathrooms and locker rooms. They also promote the absolute trash in the school libraries, focusing on sexuality and gender confusion over education. The. entire school system needs to be dismantled and built from the ground up. Get rid of Weiss and most of the School board, principals and administration and start again. Make it fair for ALL children, not just black ones.
… didn’t see it but I don’t doubt it.