[BHS Etree] ADMIN: Response to Hate Crime

[BHS Etree]

Dear Parents and Guardians,

 

We regret to inform you that on October 1, a BHS safety officer discovered a
noose hanging in a tree on campus in the afternoon. It was immediately
removed and it appears to be an isolated event. The issue was thoroughly
investigated by our safety officers and BPD. Unfortunately, there is no
video footage of the incident and to our knowledge no students reported
seeing the noose prior to its removal. To this date, no one has been held
responsible for this hate crime. Please speak with your child about this
incident and encourage them to report any hate based incidents, symbols,
actions or forms of speech to an adult staff member. Berkeley High School
Administration takes full responsibility for not bringing this matter to the
attention of the larger community sooner.

 

This act of hate has never, and will never, be tolerated on this campus. It
is a reminder of a terrible period in our history that will never and should
never be forgotten. This incident is a clear and stark reminder that racism
is alive and well in this country and we as educators are the ones best
suited to combat this ignorance. There are a variety of manners for this to
happen and it all begins with us choosing to remain focused on the issue
beyond this incident.  

 

We are taking the following immediate and short-term action items to make a
statement against racism:

 

1.     Reclaiming the tree as a symbol of life, equality, and freedom -
on-going.

2.     Hosting a school wide assembly in collaboration with student
leadership, teachers and members of the community.

3.     Monday (10/13) - Opportunity to discuss as a staff within learning
community. 

4.     An article in the school newspaper 

5.     Providing teachers with culturally relevant materials and resources
to address racial hatred. Over the next several weeks, we will be providing
additional resources.  

 

Berkeley High School Administration recognizes that these short-term action
items must be in conjunction with the larger scope of our work in order to
address the issues of racial hatred. We trust your judgment and expertise in
facilitating challenging conversations in your classroom. 

 

 Respectfully,

 

Jorge Melgoza

Vice Principal

Berkeley High School

 

__________________________________

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