Board Of Ed: Firm Support For Administrators’ Actions; Proactive Steps Planned

Last night, the Board of Education addressed a recent Newsweek opinion piece in which a Westport parent described antisemitic bullying, and its aftermath.

The Board met in executive session, to explore details that privacy laws prohibit from being made public.

The Board of Ed then adopted this statement. The public vote was 6-0, with one abstention (Robert Harrington):

This evening, the full Board met in executive session and discussed the steps taken by the administration in response to a recent allegation of antisemitic bullying. We are deeply sorry for the pain this child and their family have experienced.

Each of us has had an opportunity to ask questions, specifically about this matter and generally about our bullying and harassment policies. Based on our review, we are confident that the district handled this matter in a manner that fulfilled its legal obligations, complied with our policies and met the high expectations of professionalism we all share.

While federal privacy laws generally prohibit Board of Education members from accessing student records, state law requires an exception in this situation so that we can ensure compliance with laws related to bullying, nondiscrimination, and discipline.

We affirm that our administrators acted promptly, ensured safety and support for the students, investigated thoroughly, imposed discipline, and provided learning opportunities to help students understand the impact of their words and actions. It is also clear that the matter was handled with care and sensitivity to all the children and families involved.

We are concerned about the recent rise in reported antisemitism, and our school system is focused on preventing its spread and educating our students about hate. Our board and administration know that student safety and well-being are our top priority and that antisemitism and other forms of hate cannot be tolerated.

Westport Public Schools aspires to be a national leader when it comes to educating our faculty and students on hate, bias, and antisemitism, including Holocaust curriculum. We further understand the frustration that many members of our community feel right now and that many questions remain, not just related to this specific matter but the broader set of issues related to how we as a district address challenges of this nature.

As we enter the new year, we intend to take proactive steps to engage with the community, increase awareness of our policies and practices, solicit feedback, look for opportunities for improvement, and do everything we can to prevent and effectively address all incidents of bullying and identity-based offenses. We will not wait, and have already scheduled a community conversation about antisemitism in January.

We owe it to every child in Westport to make sure we are delivering a learning environment that is safe, supportive and responsive when problems develop.