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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:red'>PLEASE do not reply to this email, contact Mark
Coplan <a href="mailto:markcoplan@berkeley.net">markcoplan@berkeley.net</a> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>April 28, 2015<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Dear <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Berkeley</st1:place></st1:City> High Community,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>We are writing to update you on <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Berkeley</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Unified</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">School District</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>'s
(BUSD) continued cooperation with the investigation being conducted by the
Office of Civil Rights (OCR) into our policies and practices related to sexual
harassment. As we have said on multiple occasions, we are committed to
developing a culture in our schools that is focused on the prevention of
harassment and bullying in any form. We know that we have work to do in this
area, and we are committed to partnering with the student and parent advocates
in the community who have so passionately and bravely shared their stories and
articulated their concerns.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>As you may know, we recently revised the
District's sexual harassment policy for the first time in almost a decade, and
we are continuing to work to improve that policy as the OCR investigation
continues. We have also complied with OCR's requests for documentation, and
have provided over one thousand pages of material to OCR investigators in order
to better enable them to evaluate our past practices. We have also made
available for OCR interviews many senior BUSD administrators, BHS
administrators, counselors, safety officers and campus monitors. Those
interviews are continuing over the course of three full days this week.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>We believe that it is important that the
OCR investigators meet with BHS students to hear their experiences directly.
We have been moved by the accounts of our students, and we want to ensure that
the OCR investigators hear these accounts first-hand, as well as the
experiences of students who have not felt comfortable speaking up in public, or
in a group setting. Thus, contrary to some reports, we have not barred OCR
investigators from access to our students. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>We do have concerns about student privacy
and confidentiality, as well as the need to obtain parental consent before
students are interviewed by federal investigators. We also want to ensure that
any student interviews take place in a way that does not unduly impact
instructional time, particularly at this very busy and important time of the
school year for many BHS students. We have raised these concerns with OCR, and
we hope and expect that they will be resolved so that the investigation can be
conducted and completed in a timely manner. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Dr. Donald Evans, Superintendent, BUSD
and <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Judy Appel, President, BUSD Board of
Education<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Mark Coplan, Public Information Officer<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:City w:st="on"><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Berkeley</span></font></st1:City><font
size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:black'> Unified <st1:place w:st="on">School District</st1:place><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>510-644-6320 Cell: 510-472-3811<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>_________________</span></font><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'>_________________<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Marguerite Fa-Kaji and Catherine Ference
are the parent-volunteer facilitators of the Etree; please direct any questions
about the Etree to them at </span></font><font color=black><span
style='color:black'><a href="mailto:bhs-owner@lmi.net"
title="mailto:bhs-owner@lmi.net"><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>bhs-owner@lmi.net</span></font></a></span></font><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'>. To post a message, send to: </span></font><font
color=black><span style='color:black'><a href="mailto:bhs@lmi.net"
target="_blank" title="mailto:bhs@lmi.net"><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>bhs@lmi.net</span></font></a></span></font><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'>; BHS etree archives: </span></font><font color=black><span
style='color:black'><a href="http://lists.lmi.net/pipermail/bhs/"
target="_blank" title="http://lists.lmi.net/pipermail/bhs/"><font size=2
color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'>http://lists.lmi.<wbr>net/pipermail/bhs/</span></font></a>; </span></font><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'>BHS website:</span></font><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> </span></font><font
color=black><span style='color:black'><a href="http://bhs.berkeleyschools.net/"
target="_blank"><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>http://bhs.berkeleyschools.<wbr>net/</span></font></a></span></font><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>To </span></font><u><font size=2
color=red face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:red'>unsubscribe</span></font></u><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> from the etree, send an
email to </span></font><font color=black><span style='color:black'><a
href="mailto:bhs-request@lmi.net" target="_blank"
title="mailto:bhs-request@lmi.net"><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>bhs-request@lmi.net</span></font></a></span></font><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'> with one word only in the subject line: <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>unsubscribe</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>To <u>subscribe</u> to the etree, send an
email to </span></font><font color=black><span style='color:black'><a
href="mailto:bhs-request@lmi.net" target="_blank"
title="mailto:bhs-request@lmi.net"><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>bhs-request@lmi.net</span></font></a></span></font><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'> with one word only in the subject line: <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>subscribe</span></b> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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