Via The Education Wonks [1] we find this Washington Post story [2] about Kansas teenager Zach Rubio who was suspended from school for speaking Spanish -- not in class, but in the school hallway.

Zach is bilingual. He speaks English without an accent, but also is fluent in his father's native language.

"It was, like, totally not in the classroom," the high school junior said, recalling the infraction. "We were in the, like, hall or whatever, on restroom break. This kid I know, he's like, 'Me prestas un dolar?' ['Will you lend me a dollar?'] Well, he asked in Spanish; it just seemed natural to answer that way. So I'm like, 'No problema.'"

In a written "discipline referral", Endeavor Alternative School Principal Jennifer Watts stated that "This is not the first time we have [asked] Zach and others to not speak Spanish at school."

The school rescinded Zach's suspension after his father, Lorenzo Rubio,  protested the decision. The school (which does not have a written policy concerning the use of Spanish) has violated Zach's civil rights contends Mr. Rubio who has retained a lawyer to explore their legal options in regard to the matter.

"I'm mainly doing this for other Mexican families, where the legal status is kind of shaky and they are afraid to speak up. Punished for speaking Spanish? Somebody has to stand up and say: This is wrong."

The Washington Post article doesn't report why Endeavor Alternative School required their students to speak English outside of class. While I don't normally encourage jumping to conclusions, but I think I'm fairly safe when I wonder if there isn't a racial element at play here.

Fortunately, Mr. Rubio did stand up for Zach's rights and the school has not pursued students speaking in Spanish since. According to Zach, "I know it would be, like, disruptive if I answered in Spanish in the classroom. I totally don't do that. But outside of class now, the teachers are like, 'Whatever.'"

Is it just me, or does anyone else think that a school in Kansas should be encouraging the use of second languages. You know, because students who aren't studying the language might pick up a little of it and the ones who are studying the language might be more fluent?

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