Statement from the Sacramento City Unified School Board Regarding Racist Incident at C.K. McClatchy
Sacramento, CA - The Sacramento City
Unified School District Board has issued the following statement
following the discovery of racist graffiti at C.K. McClatchy High
School.
鈥淭he racist graffiti that was discovered at C.K. McClatchy High
School is abhorrent,鈥 said Sacramento City Unified Board
President Christina Pritchett. 鈥淭he Sac City Unified Board stands
united against racism and fully supports efforts to make all our
schools safe anti-racist places of learning and support for all.
This incident will be thoroughly investigated so appropriate
action can be taken.鈥
鈥淭here is no room for hate at Sac City Unified,鈥 said Sac City
Unified School Board Member Lisa Murawksi. 鈥淭his racist graffiti
is not a joke, it is not excusable, and it will not be
tolerated. It is most insulting to our Black and African
American students and community members but It degrades and
insults our entire community and sends waves of harm, trauma, and
disgust throughout the halls of C.K. McClatchy that should
instead be full of laughter, learning, and connection. Whoever
did this should be ashamed and should face consequences and
disciplinary action to the fullest extent of law and
policy.鈥
鈥淲e care deeply about the well-being of our students and staff
who may have been impacted by this racist act,鈥 Board President
Pritchett added. 鈥淲e are glad that the district is providing
support for students and staff to help them deal with the trauma
of experiencing racism at school.鈥
Sac City Unified is investigating and working to address
instances of racism that have occurred at several school
sites.
Last fall Sac City Unified initiated an investigation after
racist graffiti and social media messages targeted a staff member
at West Campus High School. The district is conducting a thorough
investigation in an effort to bring accountability to anyone
involved. The Sacramento Police Department is also investigating
this incident as a hate crime. To help students and staff heal
from this traumatic event, district staff and school site leaders
have provided support through meetings with student and staff
groups, healing circles, and a school-wide assembly.
Following a separate investigation, Sac City Unified recently
moved to dismiss a teacher who was found to have used racial
epithets during a classroom lecture last year at Kit Carson
International Academy.
Sac City Unified鈥檚 Board and Superintendent Jorge Aguilar have
led efforts to adopt and implement equity-focused policies and
practices across the district which serves a majority of
historically underserved students of color, and the
district has proactively initiated a number of initiatives
to confront racism, improve equity, and make schools more
inclusive and supportive for all students.
The district has tapped Mark T. Harris, an attorney and long-time
Sacramento community member with extensive expertise in social
justice and civil rights matters, to advise the district on
addressing racist incidents that are currently under
investigation, and to support the district鈥檚 efforts to address
racism and improve equity and inclusion for all.
Sac City Unified has also implemented mandatory anti-racism
training for all staff and district leaders. Sac City Unified
negotiated a day of anti-racism mandatory training for all
teachers as part of professional development at the start of the
school year. School site leaders, the district鈥檚 leadership team,
and the Sac City Unified School Board members have participated
in the same anti-racism training.
The district has adjusted staffing and resources to support
alternative district safety programs that focus on improving
school climate so that every school is more inclusive,
supportive, culturally competent, and equitable for all students
and staff, including Black students and other students of color,
students with disabilities, English Learners, foster youth,
homeless youth, and LGBTQ+ youth.
Classroom libraries throughout the district are being updated
with high-quality antiracist and culturally responsive materials,
including culturally relevant books that reflect the lived
experiences of our students, and bringing in living-history
speakers that can speak to justice and equity in action.
The district鈥檚 Men鈥檚 and Women鈥檚 Leadership Academies are being
expanded to empower students of color with wraparound services
that promote Social Emotional Learning, culturally relevant and
responsive leadership development, meaningful mentorship, and
academic support that engages students.
Through implementation of a Multi-Tiered System of Support, or
MTSS, Sac City Unified is working to provide every student with
specific academic, behavioral, social-emotional, and mental and
physical health supports to meet their individual needs, so that
all students can remain fully engaged in school and access core
instruction.
The district has also adopted an innovative 鈥渆quity index鈥 to
guide Measure H school bond investments that seeks to repair
historical underinvestment and improve school facilities in
certain neighborhoods in Sacramento.