Dear District 14 Families, Community Members, Students and Staff:
The Asian-American community has been experiencing unprecedented acts of violence against innocent people across the country. While there has been a lot of media attention very recently in response to the heinous attacks against Asian American women in metro Atlanta this week, this is not a new phenomenon. There is fear among our Asian-American families who are an integral part of our school and district community. As the District 14, we strongly say that hatred and racism will not be tolerated against any member of our community. We stand together and for each other and our schools must be safe spaces for all our diverse students, all our staff and family members. Today and always, we stand strong with our Asian-American families.
The Department of Education issued the following response to anti-Asian violence:
“Bigotry, bias, and bullying have no place in our schools or our communities and we stand in solidarity with our Asian- American students and families. We are working with the NYPD and School Safety Division to increase patrols around specific schools and transportation hubs to ensure student safety and well-being as our city confronts the recent increase in anti-Asian violence. Our schools play an important role in educating students about how the diversity of our differences makes us stronger, and we commend our dedicated educators and schools’ staff for making sure students are physically and emotionally safe during this time.”
District 14 Principals and Assistant Principals issued their response:
“On behalf of CSA in District 14, our Principals, Assistant Principals and Education Administrators condemn the violence against all Asian-Americans. These targeted racial attacks against innocent citizens should not be the norm nor supported by any group. As active members of the District 14 community, citizens of this city, and educators, we are unified and steadfastly committed to embracing and supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion. We will not support divisive rhetoric that leads toward unwarranted brutality against any Asian-American citizen. These residents help us create the diverse tapestry that is District 14. Our commitment in District 14 is to care for one another, and to look out for each person's well-being. We actively work to cultivate an environment where everyone is welcome regardless of identity, background, or race.”
The United Federation of Teachers said in their statement for the District 14 community:
“The UFT stands with our Asian-American brothers and sisters. Hate-speech and racially motivated violence have no place in our community. Together - educators, students, parents - we must speak out against such brutality and work to build an inclusive, just and welcoming society.”
All District 14 leaders, teachers, parent coordinators and guidance counselors received resources and a toolkit developed in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, New York City Commission on Human Rights, and Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit, the NYC Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes with all of our Respect for All liaisons across the city - Stop COVID Hate: A Toolkit for Addressing Anti-Asian Bias, Discrimination, and Hate. This toolkit and additional resources provides comprehensive information and educational material for both bystanders and those targeted by bias- motivated incidents; and infographics, media, and other digital campaigns against hate. These tools are continuously updated and are regularly shared with all school communities.
As a District 14 community, we SAY NO TO HATE.
Alicja Winnicki, Superintendent
Iradies Munet, UFT Representative
James Brown, CSA Representative
