Education | Opinion

Editorial: Accountability in Indian education

Friday, January 18, 2008

"Yet another possible scandal involving the management of federal resources intended for American Indian school children was reported in headlines this week.

First, there was the recent story of how hundreds of Navajo spent much-needed dollars to attend an education conference in Hawaii. Elected school board members and tribal officials left teachers and students in their dust as they pounced on the tropical islands in the name of progress.

Now, two former employees, with perhaps others soon joining them, are filing lawsuits against the Bureau of Indian Education, claiming a wide variety of wrongdoings by the Shiprock education line officer, Joel Longie, and the office administration.

Longie oversees 13 Bureau of Indian Affairs schools in New Mexico, Utah and Arizona.

The two former employees, one a Farmington woman and the other a woman from Mancos, Colo., claim that more than $100,000 was spent frivolously, that there were incidents of sexual harassment, and that retaliation against employees questioning the system is commonplace.

The case, and thus the proof, is far from seeing light in a courtroom and at this point the accusations are just that, accusations."

Get the Story:
Editorial: When will accountability become more important? (The Farmington Daily Times 1/18)

Relevant Links:
Navajo Nation - http://www.navajo.org
Navajo Nation Council - http://www.navajonationcouncil.org
National Indian Education Association - http://www.niea.org
Bureau of Indian Education - http://www.oiep.bia.edu