In Mont. County Racial Equity & Policing, Montgomery County, MD, Racial Equity

Read JUFJ’s statement to address the recent anti-Black violence occurring in Montgomery County Schools. The letter was sent to the Montgomery County Board of Education and Superintendent Dr. Thomas Taylor.

Dear Superintendent Taylor and Members of the Board of Education,

In light of the most recent incident of anti-Black violence and other acts of hate at Wootton High School, we are writing to you on behalf of Jews United for Justice to respectfully urge you to prioritize implementing meaningful anti-racism and Restorative Justice programs throughout Montgomery County Public Schools.

No matter what they look like or where they come from, every child deserves to live and to learn with dignity, respect, and safety. However, even as multiple acts of anti-Black violence have occurred within MCPS this year, including a student at Wootton High School printing the n-word on 1,000 pieces of paper, leaders in MCPS have fallen short in their responsibility to address either the root causes or the impacts of these attacks.

Jewish tradition teaches that our system of justice must protect both our bodies and our souls, and that all people are created in the image of the Divine. Whether students are being targeted because of their race, their religion, their gender, or for any other reason, freedom and safety for any of us depends on the freedom and safety of all of us. It is the responsibility of the entire community, especially the leaders of MCPS, to ensure that students in our public schools can learn and grow in a dignified environment.

Here in Montgomery County, students who engage in Restorative Justice programs are significantly less likely to repeat the harms they have caused to other students. Had these programs been sufficiently implemented and funded at Wootton High School, including engaging students and staff of all races and identities, it is possible that the most recent incidents of hate could have been avoided. We urge the Montgomery County Public School system to act on the recommendations of the Wootton Black Student Union, Young People for Progress, Racial Justice NOW!, The Black Coalition For Excellence in Education, and The Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity and Excellence by investing monetarily and programmatically in effective, robust anti-racist and restorative justice programs throughout the Montgomery County Public School system. 

Thank you,

Laura Wallace and Natalia Paley Whitman

Jews United for Justice Montgomery County Director and Montgomery County Community Organizer 

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