Report Confirms Former Wausau Band Director's Discriminatory Conduct Towards a Student

Tuesday, August 22nd, 2023 -- 12:01 PM

(Natalie Eilbert, Wausau Daily Hearld) -The family of an openly gay, Asian American student, who was the victim of his teacher's discriminatory conduct, said they feel vindicated after an independent investigation substantiated their complaints last week.

According to Natalie Eilbert with the Wausau Daily Herald, now, they are calling for Wausau School District to acknowledge the problems highlighted in the investigation and make changes.

"We hope that, with this situation, it doesn't have to repeat in the future, that these students will be believed, that they will be heard, that the district will follow policy and give them access to resources," said Jennifer Yang, the student's aunt. "Nobody should have to fight this hard to be heard."

The investigation, conducted by Alana Leffler, an attorney with Title IX expertise at Buelow Vetter law firm, concluded on Aug. 14 that former Wausau East band director Robert Perkins violated school district policies in a manner that “substantially disrupted (the student’s) educational performance and opportunity" and "created an environment that was intimidating, hostile, or offensive.”

Among the many substantiated claims in the report were Perkins teaching his students the German word for bassoon, which sounds identical to a homophobic slur, and shouting a word that sounds like an anti-Asian slur to the beat of a cymbal. Leffler found that Perkins later joked to another teacher that the same sound could be heard at the student's family dinners.

Leffler's report also revealed that the school dropped the ball on its own Title IX policies when it didn't put any safeguards in place to allow the student a safe return to school and finish his senior year.

Title IX is a half-century old federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination in schools on the basis of sex, sexual orientation or gender identity. As a consequence of the district's mishandling of the investigation, the road to vindication was thorny and difficult, said Twan Vongphakdy, the student's father.

Their son endured months of victim-blaming and disruptions to his learning that prevented him from returning to school, attending scholarship award ceremonies, and enjoying the final months of senior year. It also greatly impacted his mental health, Twan Vongphakdy said.

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