Attacks on Asian Students in Phila. Spur Complaint

An advocacy group for Asian-Americans has filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice charging that the Philadelphia school district and South Philadelphia High School have shown “intentional disregard” for the welfare of Asian students at the high school.

The complaint, filed on Jan. 19 with the civil rights division of the Justice Department, alleges that Asian students’ civil rights under the U.S. Constitution were violated because “they suffered severe and pervasive peer-on-peer harassment based on their race and national origin” at the school, and both school and school district officials showed “deliberate indifference” to the situation.

“We’ve seen a long history of community advocates trying to get the school and district to address the problem,” said Cecilia Chen, a staff lawyer for the Philadelphia-based Asian-American Legal Defense and Education Fund ,...