CIVIL RIGHTS SPECIALISTS INVESTIGATE CAPE CHARGE

A federal civil rights team will visit Cape Girardeau public schools this week to investigate a complaint that students are being discriminated against on the basis of race and disability.

The complaint was filed in February by members of the Cape Girardeau National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and alleges three discriminatory violations:

-- Placing African-American students in special education without an evaluation at May Greene Elementary School.

-- Suspending African-American students at Cape Central High School.

-- Dropping out African-American students at Cape Central High School.

Civil rights specialists with the U.S. Department of Education office for civil rights in Kansas City will be in town Monday through Wednesday to investigate the complaints.

Rodger Murphey, a spokesman for the education department, said the investigation's results probably won't be ready until August.

If the district is using discriminatory practices, he said, it likely will enter into a compliance agreement with the department and make changes.

If the school system refuses to come into compliance, all federal funding could be halted or the case could be referred to the justice department for civil prosecution.

The department said a letter advising the district of the visit was sent to Superintendent Neyland Clark April 18. The department also has asked for information to help it determine if violations have occurred.

The department has asked for an inventory of federal financial assistance received by the district, a copy of the district's special education policies and procedures and a copy of the district's discipline and drop-out policies.

It also has requested names and copies of the special education files for all students at May Greene Elementary who receive special education services, identifying children by race and type of special education service received.

The department is also asking for the list of students who were suspended at Central High in 1993-94 and 1994-95 by name, race, infraction, length and type of suspension, the referring official's race and approving official's race.

Also requested were copies of the discipline records of all students, identified by race, who received discipline at Central High during 1993 and 1994.

Further, the department wants a list of students who dropped out of Central High during the 1993-94 and 1994-95 school years, identified by name, race, date dropped, reason dropped, grade-point average, number of days missed from school and approving official's race.