EAST LANSING, Mich. — East Lansing Public Schools announced the school is taking steps to be more inclusive for it's students.
That includes removing school resource officers and diversifying staff.
East Lansing School Board member Terah Chambers said, "Understand that the students who are targeted by police, in general, are black students, brown students, and by pushing that by investing in school resource officers we're part of the problem."
Chambers said the schools already have support from East Lansing Police Department.
"We have the relationship with the larger police community that we need so I know they'll be here for us when we need. There isn't a need for a police presence in our schools. This is not just in East Lansing. This is a country-wide effort," said Chambers.
She said the funding for the resource officers could be better spent on resources for the students, additional teachers and support staff.
An East Lansing High School student claims some minority students felt targeted.
Alex Hosey said,"Others might not be taught you are being targeted, even if it's not on purpose you are being targeted just subconsciously. So just the people that don't have that type of awareness and they'll get to be safe is a breath of relief."
The school district said it's also committed to diversifying its staff.
Hosey said, "Its important to see them as authority figures that teachers can be black. That's not just something white people can do."
He said there is only about two or three black teachers in the school.
He said he feels sometimes teachers will scold him more than white classmates.
Hosey said having black teachers will help minority students feel more comfortable.
"The fact that there is a place outside of your own home that feels like home, there are no words to describe it."
FOX 47 reached out to the East Lansing Police Department for comment.
We have not heard back.
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