Dear MASCD Members,
I am outraged at the way a gay student was treated at the School Committee meeting in Franklin, Mass in late October. As this student described her experiences being bullied at school for being gay, she was jeered and yelled at by adult members at the meeting.
The event demonstrates the unsafe environment our LGBTQIA+ students are too often in. It also speaks to the willful refusal of some people to recognize the ways in which students from oppressed groups are targeted because of their identities. While all students are protected from any kind of bullying, Massachusetts law recognizes that targeting students because they are LGBTQIA+ is a violation of civil rights. LGBTQIA+ students are in a protected class. The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination explains that, “Massachusetts Law outlaws treating people unfairly based on the person’s membership in a “protected class,” such as your race, national origin, religion, disability, age, sexual orientation or gender identity.”
The adult in the audience who yelled at the student wanted to know why her white child was not in a protected class. When the student explained that students at Franklin High School are not getting bullied because they are white, but rather because they are not white or not straight, the adult escalated her aggressive comments. We educators can only fully support our students who are members of marginalized groups if we speak out when people deny the inequalities that exist in our society, and deny the ways this shapes our schools and the lives of our students.
Franklin Superintendent Sara Ahern issued a strong letter to the community the day after the School Committee meeting, making clear that the behavior of some adults at the School Committee meeting did not reflect the values of the school district. She outlined the policies and practices the district is taking to create a truly inclusive environment, and closed her letter with a call to action: “I also encourage our community members to make advocacy and support for each and every child visible and sustained. Join us and “Speak Up” within the community. MASCD board members have added their voices below.
All My Best,
Shaunna Harrington
I am outraged at the way a gay student was treated at the School Committee meeting in Franklin, Mass in late October. As this student described her experiences being bullied at school for being gay, she was jeered and yelled at by adult members at the meeting.
The event demonstrates the unsafe environment our LGBTQIA+ students are too often in. It also speaks to the willful refusal of some people to recognize the ways in which students from oppressed groups are targeted because of their identities. While all students are protected from any kind of bullying, Massachusetts law recognizes that targeting students because they are LGBTQIA+ is a violation of civil rights. LGBTQIA+ students are in a protected class. The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination explains that, “Massachusetts Law outlaws treating people unfairly based on the person’s membership in a “protected class,” such as your race, national origin, religion, disability, age, sexual orientation or gender identity.”
The adult in the audience who yelled at the student wanted to know why her white child was not in a protected class. When the student explained that students at Franklin High School are not getting bullied because they are white, but rather because they are not white or not straight, the adult escalated her aggressive comments. We educators can only fully support our students who are members of marginalized groups if we speak out when people deny the inequalities that exist in our society, and deny the ways this shapes our schools and the lives of our students.
Franklin Superintendent Sara Ahern issued a strong letter to the community the day after the School Committee meeting, making clear that the behavior of some adults at the School Committee meeting did not reflect the values of the school district. She outlined the policies and practices the district is taking to create a truly inclusive environment, and closed her letter with a call to action: “I also encourage our community members to make advocacy and support for each and every child visible and sustained. Join us and “Speak Up” within the community. MASCD board members have added their voices below.
All My Best,
Shaunna Harrington
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Board member Kerry Gallagher has put together a Digital Wellness Series that will be featured for the next several months. Kerry has used her expertise and reflections on digital life to help others navigate the balance of being in a digital world while maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Stay tuned for more information as this series unfolds!
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The Podcast is LIVEThis series begins with MASCD president, Shaunna Harrington, president elect, Matthew X. Joseph, along with board members Craig Martin and Megan Farrell, speaking with fellow MASCD community members about their journeys in education. Check out the first six episodes!
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