[BHS Etree] ADMIN: Update on Yearbook Incident

[BHS Etree]

Dear BHS Community,

 

As you may know, an offensive and racist phrase was discovered on the AMPS
page of the BHS yearbook. Our investigation to this point indicates that the
original text of the page was maliciously replaced.  We know that the
Yearbook staff prepared a regular page to be submitted to the printer and
that page contained no offensive language. At the last minute, this page was
replaced with a similar-looking page that contained the offensive language.
The Yearbook staff and advisors were appalled and take complete
responsibility for not having caught the problem before going to print.

 

Because dozens of both Yearbook students and other Non-Yearbook students had
access to make this unauthorized change, it has been difficult to pinpoint
who was responsible.  We will continue to investigate what happened.  What
occurred does not just affect the AMPS community, but has had a profound and
hurtful impact on all of us.  

 

Berkeley High took immediate steps to stop distribution, recall yearbooks,
and replace the offensive language with text written by AMPS leadership and
approved by AMPS students. The Yearbook staff will provide the corrected
version to all AMPS seniors for free.  No Yearbooks will be distributed
until the offensive language has been removed. We anticipate distribution
can resume no later than Monday, June 8.

 

At this time, the entire Yearbook staff has assumed collective
responsibility.  They are preparing an apology to BHS and would like to meet
with the AMPS community and participate in a restorative process.  

 

As I wrote in a previous email, my hope is that we can use this moment to
motivate us to:  1) Manage the power of spoken and written public
information; 2) Strengthen our written communication skills; 3) Learn about
each other's communities so we can overcome stereotypes and assumptions that
tear at the fabric of the overall Berkeley High community.

 

Sincerely, 

 

Kristin Glenchur

Principal, Berkeley High School

 

__________________________________

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