Rep. Nadler Statement on Jena 6 at Full Committee Hearing

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-08), Chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, today issued the following statement on the Jena 6 as the full committee held an oversight hearing on the issue:

“Our laws envision an America wherein all children attend school without fear of attack or discrimination based on the color of their skin.  But that promise is not always realized.  The events reported out of Jena sound like a story out of another time in history, but they are not.  
 
“The controversy dates back to August 2006 when African American students at Jena High School attempted to sit under a tree where white students socialized exclusively. The following day, three white students, who would later be punished only with suspensions and other administrative penalties, hung nooses from the tree.  A series of racially charged episodes involving off-campus violence soon followed the noose incident.  
 
“Ultimately events would reach their crescendo when one student was briefly hospitalized as the result of a fight and serious criminal charges were filed by the LaSalle Parish District Attorney against six of the teenagers involved.  Looking back, we can now see where school and law enforcement officials missed critical opportunities to engage all the students and families at the high school to head off this tragic series of events.  
 
“We have the opportunity to learn from this incident.  There are serious questions about the role of the federal government in sanctioning hate and race-related violence in our public schools.  We have laws already in place, and Congress needs to conduct careful oversight of federal actions to ensure that all the resources of the Justice Department were and are employed to protect the rights of local communities in situations like these.  And, we need to consider how we can address the underlying messages of hate that sparked this incident.

“I would like to welcome my fellow New Yorker, the Reverend Al Sharpton, and commend him for raising the national consciousness on the Jena issue.  I have been proud to work with Rev. Sharpton over the years at the National Action Network and look forward to working with him in the future to ensure that these kinds of incidents receive the appropriate federal response.  As we all know, the incident involving the Jena 6 is not isolated.  What we must do is take steps to ensure that we do all we can to prevent similar acts in the future.”