Post on 16-Oct-2021
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school i
a guide for administrators, counselors and teachers
Responding to Hate and Bias
at scHool
a publication of teaching tolerancetolerance.org
a guide for administrators, counselors and teachers
Responding to Hate and Bias
at scHool
a publication of teaching tolerancetolerance.org
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 1
Table of ConTenTs
Preface 2
seCTion one // before a Crisis oCCurs 3WhatistheSchool’sClimate? 4
administrators’ precrisis checklistListen,WatchandLearn 5StayCurrent,StayConnected 6SetHighExpectations 7MaketheMostofTeachableMoments 7SpeakUp 9
seCTion Two // when There’s a Crisis 10WhatHasHappened? 11
administrators’ crisis checklistPutSafetyFirst 14DenouncetheAct 14Investigate 15InvolveOthers 16WorkwiththeMedia 17ProvideAccurateInformation—andDispelMisinformation 20SupportTargetedStudents 20SeekJustice,AvoidBlame 21PromoteHealing 22
seCTion Three // afTer The worsT is over 23WhatComesNext? 24
administrators’ postcrisis checklistLessonsLearned 25PlanningfortheLongTerm 26CapacityBuilding 26
appendix // CheCklisTs, forms and worksheeTs 28Acknowledgments 41
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 2
preface
Responding to Hate and Bias at scHool
a noose is found hanging from a goalpost on a high school campus.
a swastika, 20 feet in diameter, is burned into the pavement at a junior high school.
a group of white high school students dresses in banana suits for a basketball game and taunts their majority-black rival with racial slurs.
a sikh student has his turban pulled off and hair cut by fellow students.
Yourschoolhasplansandprotocolsinplacetorespondtofires,severeweather,medicalemergencies,fightsandweaponspossession.Butwhataboutschoolincidentslikethoselistedabovethatinvolvebig-otryandhate?Areplansinplacetorespondtoabiasincidentorhatecrime?Toooftentheseplansarecreatedinthemomentduringtheactualcrisis.Biasincidentsarefartoocomplexforon-the-flyplanning;anearlymisstepcanheightentensionanddamagechancesforlong-termsuccess.
responding to bias and hate at schoolisdesignedprimarilyforschooladministrators,butteachers,staff,counselors,studentsandothersalsomayfindguidancehere.
Theguideisdividedintothreesections:before a Crisis oCCurs. Howcanyouandotherschoolleadersassessyourschool’sclimatewithaneyetowarddefusingtension,preventingescalationandavoidingproblems?
when There’s a Crisis. Whataretheninekeypointstoconsiderwhenrespondingtoacrisisthathasbeentriggeredbyabiasincidentatyourschool?
afTer The worsT is over. Howcanyouaddresslong-termplanningandcapacitybuildingforthefuture,includingdevelopmentofsocialemotionalskills?
Hatefulactsatschoolaredangerous,disturbinganddisruptive.Butkeepthisinmind:Abiasincidentdoesnotdefineaschool.Itis,inmanyways,atestoftheschool’scultureandclimate.Howyourespondisthetruemeasureofaschool’scharacter.
It’suptoschoolleaderstosetexpectations.Everyoneonstaff,fromthebusdriverandcustodiantoclassroomteachersandtheITdepartment,mustknowthathate,disrespectandintimidationhavenoplaceoncampus,andthateverystudentshouldfeelwelcome.
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 3
Section one
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 4
WHat is tHe scHool’s climate?
Unsavorypranks,biasincidentsandevenhatecrimescanhappenatanyschool,anywhere—rural,urban,suburban,public,private,small,large,East,West,NorthorSouth.Sometimestheyarriveasacompletesurprise;othertimes,theyarisefromtensionthathasbeenbrewingforweeks,months,evenyears.
Sowhatistheclimateatyourschool?Everydayactsofintolerancemanifestthemselvesinmanyways:name-calling,slurs,sexualharass-
ment,casualputdownsregardingrace,ethnicity,gender,size,abilities,perceivedsexualorientationorgenderidentification.Thebiasmightcomeintheformofclothing—certaincolorsorstyles—ormusicorsymbolsassociatedwithhategroups.Growingintolerancecanalsobefoundonline,postedonTumblrortweetedonTwitter.Itmightbeblatant,suchasanooselefthangingfromanAfrican-Americanstudent’slocker.Oritmightbesubtle,ahushedrumortextedlikeawhisper,phonetophone,persontoperson.
Insomecases,theviciousnessisintentional;inothers,perpetratorsmighthavelittleclue—otherthanshockvalue—aboutthemeaningbehindthewords,signsandsymbolstheyshout,tweet,paintortext.Inmanyways,theissueislessaboutintent—whocanknowforcertainwhysomeonedoessomething?—andmoreaboutimpact.Nomattertheintention,thesemessagesandbehaviorscancausefear,damageandinjurytoindividualsandtheentireschoolcommunity.
Howcaneducatorsdealwiththis?Theadultsatanyschoolteachinsomanyways,farbeyondtext-booksandlessonplans.Theyteachbyexample,bythetoneandwordstheychoose,byhowtheytreatothersduringmomentsofdisagreementortension.Theyteachbywhattheydon’tsay.If,forexample,theyallowabigotedcommenttogounchecked,theyareofferingtacitapprovalofsimilarcomments.
Aschoolclimatethatencouragesinclusionandpromotestolerancedoesnotguaranteethatbiasinci-dentswon’thappen.Instead,itcreatesanatmosphereinwhichtheseactsarelesslikelytogainmomen-tumandmorelikelytobequicklyandwidelydenounced.
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 5
administrators’ precrisis checklist
lisTen, waTCh and learnWhenyouwalkthehallsorspendtimeinthecafeteria—whereveryouareoncampus—bealert.Areyouhearingputdownsandslurs?Doyounoticetenseorfearfullooksbetweensomegroupsofstudents?Theseareearlywarningsignsofpotential trouble.Unacknowledgedandunchal-lenged,theseattitudesandbehaviorscansetthestageforworsetocome.
Safety,ofcourse,isyourfirstconcern.Aredirectthreatsbeingmade?Isdanger imminent? These situations may require immediate action. Moregeneral,indirectbehaviorsindicatethattheremightbeaproblemwiththeschool’sclimate.Isthisthetypeofschoolyouwant?Posethatquestiontostudents,teachers,parentsandstaff,andlistencloselytotheanswers.
Take notes. Identify patterns. Be the person who knows what’s reallygoingonatyourschool.
Onemorething:Makesureyourstaffmembersexercisethesamevigilanceinclassrooms,playgrounds,thecafeteria,buses—everywhere.Beingalertistheresponsibilityofeveryoneoncampus,andeveryonehasadutytoreportproblemstheyseeandhear.Makethisanexpectationandsetupanefficientreporting system, like an anonymous complaint box or a designated staffmember.Afterproblemsarereported,theremustbeclearsignsoffollow-up.
Here’sachecklisttoconsiderasyoutravelthehalls,classroomsandschoolgrounds:Casual pejoraTives. Doyouhearcertainwordsusedregularlyinaderogatorymanner?That’ssogay.That’slame.That’sretarded.Istheword“bitch”usedcasuallytolabelfemalestudents?Worktoestablishaclimatewherecasualslursareuncommon—andarechallengedwhentheydooccur.speak up at schooloffersadviceonrespondingtoeverydaybias(tolerance.org/speak-up-at-school).
sChool “pride.” Docheersandchantsatsportingeventsfocusonpositiveaspectsofyourschool,ordotheydemeanopponentsinstead?Chantsortauntsbasedonethnicstereotypesandsocioeco-nomicdifferenceshavenoplaceinaninclusiveschoolcommunity.
assemblies and holidays. Skitsandcostumescanconveybigotedandstereotypicalmessages:the“day-laboringMexican,”studentsdressedas“rednecks,”peopleinblackface.Peprallies,Halloweenandotherevents,likespiritdays,canbecomesteepedinstereotypesandbigotry.Setexpectationsbeforehandaboutappropriatecostumesandculturalsensitivity.Discusstheinappropriatenessofcaricaturesordisturbingrepresentationsthatarerootedinbiasandbigotry.
marginalized sTudenTs. Engagestudentswhoappeartobeleftoutinthecafeteria,ontheplay-groundorinotherschoolsettings.Watchforpatternsorchangesinthewaygroupsofstudentsarealigned.Checkforsignsofhostility,depressionoramarkedchange in behavior or academic performance, and reachouttothestudents’parentsorguardiansand/ortheschoolcounselor as appropriate. Alienated students—either asindividualsoringroups—aremoresusceptibletobias-basedbullyingandeventorecruitmentbygangsandhategroups.
sTudenT reCogniTion. How does your school recog-nizestudentachievement?Long-standingtraditionsmaycontribute to a sense of entitlement among some stu-dents, and feelings of frustration or inadequacy in oth-ers.Whoisspotlightedandwhoisignored?Isthereaper-ception—fair or not—that athletes, advanced placement(AP)studentsandstudentleadersenjoyprivilegesorare
The anti-defamation league’s pyramid of hate offers a lesson—suitable for older students as well as for professional development—exploring levels of hate and bigotry. this can be helpful in gauging the seriousness of what you might encounter on campus.adl.org/education/courttv/pyramid_of_hate.pdf
every person in the school—from the music teacher who visits twice a week to the newest transfer student—should understand the climate of tolerance at your school.
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 6
disciplinedlessseverelyformisconduct?Collaboratewithstudentsandfacultyindevelopingmoreegalitarianwaystohonoranarrayofstudentachievements.
sTaff lounges. Howareteachersandotherstafftalkingamongthemselveswhenoutsideofstu-denthearing?Areteachersmakingnegativecommentsaboutthe“kidsfromthetrailerpark”?Aretheytellingcasuallybigotedjokes?Modelinclusive,nonbigotedbehavioryourself,andinterruptmomentsofbiasamongstaff.
your own perCepTions. Payattentiontothecommentsorcomplaintsyouautomaticallydismissordiscount.Isthereapattern?Isthereagapbetweenyourperceptionofacertainissue(bias-basedbullying,forexample)andtheperceptionothershaveoftheissue?Explorethatwithanopenmindandawillingnesstolearnfromothers.
involve everyone. Everypersonintheschool—fromthemusicteacherwhovisitstwiceaweektothenewesttransferstudent—shouldunderstandtheclimateoftoleranceatyourschool.“Ifyouseesomething,saysomething”shouldbethemodeleveryoneuses.Leteveryoneknowthatincidentsandconcernsshouldbereportedtoschoolleadersinpersonoranonymously.
don’T forgeT The sChool bus. Speakregularlywithbusdriversaboutwhattheyareseeingandhearingonthebuses.Occasionallyassignstaff toridebuses (orride thebusyourself ) tomoni-torbehaviorandtoreinforcetostudentsthattheclimateoftoleranceincludesnotjusttheschoolgrounds,butthebusaswell.
sTay CurrenT, sTay ConneCTedBias-based social media cases involving students have alreadymadeitintoU.S.andCanadiancourtrooms.Cyberbullying,oncea new term, is now a common one. Some schools have or areconsideringpoliciesoragreementsaroundFacebookuse.
“We have kindergartners with Facebook accounts,” saidDawnDuPreeKelley,anAlabamaschoolprincipal.
Andwhenmorethantwo-thirdsofyouthshavecellphones—onwhichtheyaremorelikelytotextthantalk—andmorethan90percentofyouthsareactiveonline,otherplatforms,beyondFacebook,comeintoplay.
Enter Instagram. Tumblr. Digg. StumbleUpon, Fark, four-squareandreddit.Theseareallnewtools,andallpotentialnewoutlets for bias-based bullying and bigoted cyber interactionsamongstudents.
Addtothattheadventofonlinecommentary,whichcanbevicious and bigoted, exposing young people to dehumanizinginvectiveacrosstheWebonadailybasis.And,ofcourse,there’sthecasualbigotryfoundinvariousformsofmusic.
Thelandscapeisdizzying.Yourjob,asaschooladministrator,isn’tnecessarilytoknow
everyhillandvalleyofthatlandscape.Butyoumuststayabreastofnewavenues,astheyarise,andmakesurethey’renotinfiltrat-ingyourschoolcommunitywithbiasedandbigotedmessages.Itmightbetheracistandmisogynisticimpactof“gangstarap”atoneschool,andtheantigaymessagesheardinso-called“murdermusic”atanother.OritmightbePhotoshoppedpicturesofatar-getedstudentatoneschool,postedona“burnpage,”anditmightbeatextingcampaigntargetingalesbian,gay,bisexual,ortrans-gender(LGBT)orLGBT-perceivedstudentatanotherschool.
the anti-defamation league offers resources around school-based internet issues.adl.org/cyberbullying
a pilot program from seattle public schools focuses on prevention and parental engagement.bit.ly/QctbVx
the Cyberbullying research Center offers updated information about the nature, extent, causes and consequences of cyberbullying, with an assortment of downloadable resources. cyberbullying.us
The New York Times provides an array of resources on cyberbullying (as well as bullying), including case studies and lesson plans.learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/28/resources-on-bullying-and-cyberbullying
mTv’s “a thin line” is a youth-directed campaign to raise awareness about how what seems like a harmless joke can end up having serious repercussions.athinline.com
wired safety is one of the longest running online safety organizations. its tween and teen angel programs empower youths to lead presentations on responsible use of social media and online technology.wiredsafety.org
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 7
Keepyourfocusonbehaviors.Whatarestudentsdoingwiththesesocial-mediaplatformsorthesesongs?Theobjectivesaretokeepupwithtrendsandinnovations,tobevigilantagainstbiasedorbigotedbehaviorsandnottoburyyourheadinthesand.
Knowhowstudentsusesocialmedia,knowhowtomonitorandsetexpectationsaroundthatusageanddecidehowtorespondwhentheseplatformsareusedtoharmastudentortargetagroupofstudents.Availyourselfofresourcesthataddressthemanyaspectsofthisissue.
seT high expeCTaTionsProtect your school against hate, bias and bigotry by setting firm—and high—expectations early andoften.Andnotjustforstudents.Everyoneonstaff,fromjanitorsandbusdriverstoclassroomteachersandsupportservices,mustknowthathate,disrespectandintimidationhavenoplaceoncampus.Thenreinforcetheseexpectationsateveryturn.
Messagesshouldbeconsistent,fromtheadministrator’sofficetoeveryclassroomandschoolactiv-ity.Expectationsshouldbesetatregistration,atorientation,onthefirstdayofschool,atthefirstschool-wideassembly—ateveryopportunitytoremindstudentsthatyoursisaschoolthatdoesnotallowhateorbiastoflourish.
Whileit’sessentialtospeakupagainstbiasandbigotryinaconsistentmanner,it’sequallyimportanttoreinforcegoodbehavior,praisingstudentsforusingrespectfullanguage,especiallyduringtenseordiffi-cultmoments.Disciplinepoliciesshouldbereasonable,withnozero-tolerancestancesandafocusthatisrestorativeratherthanpunitive.(See“CapacityBuilding”inSection3formoreguidanceonthissubject.)
“Setupstructurestopromoterespectfulbehavior,”saidAmberStrongMakaiau,ahighschoolteacherinHawaiiwhoauthoredaconflict-resolutioncurriculumthatwasadoptedstatewide. “Make itclear:Thisishowwewantpeopletobehave.Thisisthenorm.”
Herearethreeotherconsiderations:CreaTe a no-slur sChool. Earlyintheterm,stateclearsupportforasafe,openlearningenviron-mentfreeofslurs.Bespecific:noinsultsrelatedtoability,appearance,culture,gender,homelanguage,race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or social class will be tolerated. Make sure these expec-tationsareclearlyoutlinedintheschoolhandbook—forstudents,staffandfaculty—andensurethatthey’rerootedineducation,helpingtoraisebothawarenessandempathyabouttheharmdonebyslurs.
Curb TaunTing and Teasing. Setexpectationsofhowstudentsshouldspeaktoeachother,whethertheyareinoroutofearshotofateacheroradministrator.Listenforteasingorinsultsrelatedtorace,eth-nicity,bodysize,physicalabilities,religion,sexualorientation,clothing,appearanceorsocioeconomicsta-tus.Asneeded,leadandencouragediscussionsaboutrespectfulwayspeopleshouldinteract.Guidestu-dentsinbrainstormingwaystocurbtauntingandteasing.Havingstudentsdeveloptheirownrules,withadultguidance,oftenresultsingreaterstudentbuyin.TeachingToleranceoffersanexcellentactivity,“BuildingaClassroomConstitution,”tokickofftheschoolyear.(tolerance.org/activity/new-set-rules)
posT reminders. Administratorscanputupsignsintheirofficesandaroundtheschool(e.g.,“SafeSpacefromHate,”or“HateHasNoHomeHere”).Classroomteacherscandothesame.Teachersalsoshouldbeencouragedtoinvolvestudentsinmakinggroundrulesfortheclassroomatthestartofeachyear,focusingonrespectfulbehaviorandpositiveinteractions.Theserulesshouldbepostedprom-inentlyineachclassroomsotheycanbereferredtowhenrulesarenotfollowed.Thesesamerulesapplytoalladultswithintheschoolcommunity,whoalwaysshouldmodelrespectfulinteraction.
make The mosT of TeaChable momenTsIt’sgenerallyeasiertodiscussahatecrimeorbias incidentthathasoccurredelsewhere—toposethequestions“Couldithappenhere?”or“Howwouldwerespond?”inatheoreticalmanner,ratherthanintheheatofyourowncrisis.
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 8
So prior to any crisis arising on your campus, pay attention tostruggles happening at other schools. Find moments that can beusedforstaffandclassroomdiscussion.Focustheconversationonthekindofatmosphereyouwantatyourschoolandhowyoucanachievethat.Don’tdiscusshowtopunishperpetrators;insteadtalkabouthowtocreateandsustainaclimateinwhichsuchanincidentwouldbelesslikelytooccur.Framediscussionquestionsaccordingly.
Don’task,“Whydidhedothat?”Askinstead,“Howandwhydidthishappen?”
Theseareteachablemoments.Momentswhenyoucanremindallmembersof theschoolcommunityaboutschoolexpectations.Momentswhenyoucanhelpstudentsunderstandthedamagedoneandpaininflictedbybiasandbigotry.Teachersacrossthecountryshare“teachablemoments”withTeachingToleranceonaregularbasis.JoinusonFacebooktofollowthesestories.(facebook.com/teachingtolerance.org)
Alsousetheseteachablemomentstobuildstudentcapacityforempathy.Istheresomethingstudentscandotosupportthoseattheotherschoolwhoweretargetedbyhate?Writecardsofencouragement?Paintabannerofsupportandsendittotheschool?Holdarallyatyourschoolinsupportofvictimsattheotherschool,andpostavideoofitonYouTube?
Andrememberthis:Sometimes,youasaschoolleaderaretheonelearninginateachablemoment.Inanymomentofbiasorbigotry,whetherithappensoncampusorelsewhere,askyourself—andaskothersintheschoolcommunity—whathappenedandwhyarepeoplereactingtoit?Couldithappenhere?Ifso,whatmightwedotopreventit,oratleastlessenitsimpact?
Becausemakenomistake,thingscangopowerfullywronginthewakeofabiasincidentataschool—astheydidinJena,Louisianain2006.Read“SixLessonsfromJena:WhatEverySchool&EducatorShouldTaketoHeart”tolearnmoreabouthowtoconstructivelyrespondtoahateincidentatyourschool.(tolerance.org/sites/default/files/general/tt_lessons_from_jena.pdf)
Hereareotherconsiderations:whaT if haTe Comes To Town? Ifahategroup,suchasFredPhelps’WestboroBaptistChurch,planstoholdarally inyourcommunity, taketimetodiscussthemosteffectiveresponse.Talkaboutthegroup’shistoryandpracticeswithstudents,anddiscusswhatothercommunitieshavedoneinthe
if a hate crime happens in your community or in a neighboring community, be prepared to discuss how your school might respond.
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 9
past.Developaplanthat isthoughtfulandstrategic,avoidingknee-jerkreactionsthatmayendupbeingportrayedaslittlemorethanshoutingmatchesonTVnewsprograms.Likewise,ifahatecrimehappensinyourcommunityorinaneighboringcommunity,bepreparedtodiscusshowyourschoolmightrespond.Not inOurTown(niot.org)anditsNot inOurSchoolprogram(niot.org/nios)aregreatresourcesforplanningthiskindofresponse.
avoid reinjury. It’sbadenoughwhenapejorativewordisusedpublicly.Don’tcompoundtheprob-lembyfocusingontargetedstudentswhenaskingquestionsaboutthedamagecausedbyabias-basedincident.Don’tsingleouttheLatinostudentstocommentonananti-immigrantcrimeorincident.Askthewholeclassorgroup,withoutsinglinganyoneout,puttinganyoneonthespotortacitlydemand-ingthatasinglepersonspeakforhisorherentireidentitygroup.
speak upYou’rewalkingthehalls,stayingconnected,settinghighexpectationsandembracingteachablemoments.There’sonemoreimportantstep.Speakupandoutagainstintolerance.
Whenaslurflies,speakup.Whenaracistjokeistold,speakup.Makesureyoursisacommunitythatdoesnotremainsilentinthefaceofbigotry.Ifschoolleaderssaytheschoolisano-slurzoneandthenremainsilentwhensomeonecallssomeoneelsea“bitch”ora“spaz”inthehallway,themessageislost.
Andspeakingupisnotjustanadministrator-to-studentorteacher-to-studentscenario.Theclimateshouldencourageeveryonetospeakupagainstbiasandhate,atalllevelsandinallareasthroughouttheschool.
“Wedon’tuseslursatthisschool,”shouldbeaphraseeveryonehasattheready.
Herearesomeotherconsiderations:biased “jokes” aren’T ok. Speakupagainstallbiasedspeech,evenifit’susedina“joking”man-ner.Interruptwhateverishappening—aconversationintheteachers’ lounge,alessonintheclass-room,someonestarting to tellanobviouslyracistorsexist joke—andoffercalm,firmguidance.“Thosewordshurtandangeralotofpeople.Wedon’tusetheminthisclassroom.”
iT doesn’T have To be personal. Apowerfulresponsetohatespeechis to tie it to one’s own life—my grandmother died in the Holocaust,mybrotherhasadevelopmentaldisability,andsoon—butthewordorslurneednotbetiedtoyoupersonallyforittobeoffensive.Thegoalisnottohavestudentsavoidusingslursinfrontofthepeopletargetedbytheslurs;rather,thegoalistoeliminatetheuseofslursnomatterwhomightbewithinearshot.
waTCh for nonverbal TaunTs, Too. If a student hurtfully mocksanother’sappearance,mannerisms,mobilityorability,calltheoffend-er’sattentiontothefundamentalissueofrespect.Youmightconsiderpullingtheindividualasidetoaddressandcorrectsuchbehavior,ratherthanembarrassinghimorherinfrontofpeers,asituationthatcanleadtoamoredefensivereaction.
be a role model. All adults in the school community should modelrespectfulbehavior,especiallyintenseordifficultmoments;rememberthatyouare leadersandmentors,not justrandomadults.Studentsarewatching,and,whether theyadmit itornot, theytaketheircues fromtheadultsaroundthem.It’sespeciallypowerfulwhenoneadultspeaksupagainstanotheradultwhohasusedaslurorbiasedlanguage.Ifyouignoreacolleague’sracistlanguage,you’retacitlyindicatingthatit’sOKtousesuchlanguage.
a Tool for your Toolboxteaching tolerance has written a guide, “speak Up at school,” which offers guidance in speaking up against everyday bigotry. (tolerance.org/speak-up-at-school)
A Guide for TeAchers
SpeakUp at School
A PublicAtion of teAching tolerAnce
how to respond to everyday Prejudice, Bias and stereotypes
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 10
Section two
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 11
WHat Has Happened?
a latino student and an asian student have an argument that escalates into screamed slurs and a physical scuffle, observed by more than 50 classmates.
an opposing football team refuses to take the field against a team that has a female player, saying girls have no place in “boys’ sports.”
students play an off-campus game called “beat the jew,” in which some students pre-tend to be nazis chasing the student identified as “the jew.”
a teacher discovers a “burn” page on facebook filled with endless bigoted comments against a male student who is perceived to be gay.
a student white-pride group disrupts an all-school photograph.
a pep rally involves students portraying illegal immigrants, while other students cos-tumed as border guards round them up with billy clubs.
a teen girl kills herself after unrelenting bullying targeted her as a “slut.”
Hate crimes and bias incidents happen across the country with aggravating frequency. They vary onmanylevels,andyourresponsemusttakethatintoaccount.
Sowhathashappened?Isitahatecrime?Forthattobethecase,twothingsarenecessary.First,acrimehastohaveoccurred—
vandalism,physicalassault,arsonandsoon.Second,thecrimemustbemotivated,inwholeorinpart,bybias,andthetargetedindividualorgroupmustbelistedinthestatutesasaprotectedclass.Federallyprotectedclassesarerace,religion,ethnicity,nationality,gender,sexualorientation,genderidentityanddisability.Stateandlocallyprotectedclassesvary.
Ifnocrimehasoccurred—andagain,thatmaybedifficulttodetermineattheoutset—itlikelycanbecalledabiasincident.(Itmaymoreaptlybelabeledharassmentorintimidation,andschoolpolicymight
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 12
comeintoplay.)Abiasincidentisbiasedconduct,speechorexpressionthathasanimpactbutdoesnotinvolvecriminalaction.
Reread the opening list of school incidents—drawn from recent headlines—as an exercise to makethesedistinctions.Withlimitedinformation,answersmayvary,butitwillhelptodiscernwhereonedefi-nitionendsandtheotherbegins.TheUniversityofChicagoalsooffersanonlineguide(civility.uchicago.edu/crimes.shtml)tohelpdiscernbetweenhatecrimesandbiasincidents.TeachingToleranceisalsoapartnerwithStoptheHate(stophate.org),whichofferstrainingprogramstiedtotheseissues.
Whydoesthisdistinctionmatter?Ahatecrimelikelywillinvolvelawenforcement.Abiasincidentlikelywillnot.
Theinvestigativeforcebehindahatecrimemaybefocusedonmotivationandpunishment—whodidthis,whydidtheydoit,andhowwilltheybebroughttojustice?Thatmaynotbeyourmainobjectiveasanadministrator—andinmostcasesshould notbeyourmainobjective.Yourfocusshouldremainonaddressingtheimpactoftheincident,notitsmotivation.Howhastheschoolclimatebeendamaged?Whatmustwedotorepairandimprovethatclimate?
Youlikelywillhavelesscontrolinmanagingtheincidentifpoliceareinvolved,butyoumayhavemoreresourcesavailable—patrollinginandaroundtheschool,communityresourceofficers,increasedinves-tigatorycapabilitiesandsoon.
Already,inthefirstmoment,framingaresponseisnoteasy.That’swhythisguideexists.Init,weout-lineninekeyconsiderationsasyouchartyourcourseduringabiascrisis:
• Putsafetyfirst
• Denouncetheact
• Investigate
• Involveothers
• Workwiththemedia
• Provideaccurateinformation—anddispelmisinformation
• Supporttargetedstudents
• Seekjustice,avoidblame
• Promotehealing
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 13
Before you move to these steps—which are muchmore simultaneous than linear—ask yourself anotherquestion:Whatresourcesdowehaveinplacetoman-ageourresponses?
Does the district have legal or security personnelwhowillbecalledtohelpwiththeinvestigation?Whowill serve as the media spokesperson? Does anyonehaveexperienceinthatrole(talkingtomediaaboutsen-sitiveissues,trainingincrisismanagement)?Whoelseneedstobeinvolvedintheschool,atthedistrictlevel,inthecommunity?
Startcreatingalistofresourcesyouhave(awrittenschoollockdownpolicythatmaycomeintoplay,adesig-natedphonelinethatcanbeusedtoshareupdateswithparents,neighboringBoys&GirlsClubsofAmericathatmightprovidemeetingspacesandsoon),makingcon-nectionsthatwillhelpyoumoveforward.Yourresourcelistshouldincludepeopleaswell—influentialcommu-nitymemberswhomayserveasalliesinacrisis.
Nowalso is the timetoactivate the incidentresponse team.Youcanstart small—drawinahandfulofkeypeople—butknowthatastheresponseunfolds,theteammaygrowsothatitisbothrepresentativeofandresponsivetotheschoolcommunity.
(Nowalsoisthetimetobethankfulforanyoftheprecrisisworkyouhaveputintoplay.Youcan’ttrulyplanforthespecificityofthismoment,butyoucanbebetterprepared.)
Andastheschooladministrator,steelyourselfforthefollowing:bad news Travels fasT—and far—These days. Gossipandrumor,aidedbycellphonesandtheInternet,spreadsthroughoutyourschool,tootherschools,othercities,otherstatesandothernationswithinhours, ifnotmoments.Thingsmayescalate farmorequicklythanyouexpectviasocialmediaoutlets,mainstreammediaand,insomecases,onhategroups’websites,whichmaytwistthefactsandcreatenewissuestoaddress.
you are The hub. Inacrisismoment,youhavelesstimetothinkandplanthanyouwouldlike,andstudents,teachers,staffandotherswillbecomingtoyouforimmediateguidance.Italsomeansyoumaybegettingcallsfromthesuperintendent,themayor’soffice,communitygroupsandthemediabeforeyouhavehadachancetogatherafullreportaboutwhathasactuallyhap-penedonyourcampus.
judgmenTs will be rushed. Thewidercommunitymayalreadyhavetakensidesandformedopinionsbeforeanyonefullyunderstandsthesituation.Itisimperativeforyoutohavestruc-turesandplansinplaceforcrisismanagement,specificallyaroundinformationmanagementandthedispellingofrumors.
balanCe The desire for speed wiTh The need for Thoroughness. Don’tletthechaosofacrisissituationderailyourwork.Focusonwhatneedstobedone,andmakesureyoudon’tallowsomeoneelse’sdeadlinetodistractyoufromtheworkneededtomanagethiscrisis.Bereadytosay,“Wedon’thaveenoughinformationyettomakethatdetermination,”whilealsounderstanding that the longer it takes to gather that information, the more misinformationmaygrowandspread.
use or CreaTe Tools To spread aCCuraTe informaTion. You may add a special pagetotheschoolwebsitewhereupdatesareplaced.Emailalsocanbeauseful tool forsendingupdates,thoughrememberthateveryonemightnothaveaccesstoemail.Acampusnewslet-terornewspaperalsocanbeatoolforspreadingaccurateinformationabouttheincidentandtheongoinginvestigation.
gossip and rumor, aided by cell phones and the internet, spreads throughout your school, to other schools, other cities, other states and other nations within hours, if not moments.
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 14
administrators’ crisis checklist
puT safeTy firsTTheparamountconcerninanycrisis issafety.Followyourschool’spoliciesfor lockingdownthesiteor site evacuation, if needed; call school security officers or outside law enforcement, if appropriate;alertparentsandcaregivers,ifwarranted;andmakesureeveryoneoncampusissafeandaccountedfor.Attendtoanyinjuries.Followyourschool’semergencyprotocols.That,always,isanadministrator’sfirstorderofbusiness.
Ifyouhavenotalreadyformedanincidentresponseteam,dosonow.Ideally,membersofanincidentresponseteamneedtoprojectasenseofcalmaswellasearnestconcern.
Restoringorderisakeysteptoreestablishinganysenseofsafety.Isolateallegedoffendersasquicklyaspossible.Directuninvolvedstudentsbacktoclassrooms,andhave
teacherskeepthemthereuntilfurthernotice.Ifnecessaryforsafety,holdbellsandprovideinstructionstoteachersbyintercom,phoneorwrittenmessages.Students,facultyandstaffshouldbeassuredthatthematterisbeingdealtwithandthatmoreinformationabouttheincidentwillbeprovidedassoonaspossible.
Rumorsalreadywillbeflying.Takethemseriously.AccordingtoboththeU.S.SecretServiceandtheU.S.DepartmentofEducation,inmostcasesofschoolviolencesomeoneotherthantheattackerknewofthethreatbutfailedtoreportit.Emphasizethatanysuchinformationshouldbecommunicatedimme-diately,andidentifythepersonorpersonstowhominformationshouldbereported.Publicizeaccesstoananonymoustipline,anonlinereportformoranin-schooltipbox.Provideavenuesforpeopletoshareinformation,andassignpeopletoreviewandreportonthatinformationasitcomesin.
Also,especiallywithmoreseriousincidents,beonhighalertregardingthepotentialforcopycatsorretaliatoryactions.Withmanyincidents—bias-drivenfightsorattacks,vandalismandgraffiti—thereisarealriskofrepeatedincidentsbyvengefulclassmatesorcopycats.Facultyandstaffshouldbemoreawarethanusual,watchingforsignsoftension,veiledorimpliedthreatsandunusualactivity.Letallstudentsknowthatthecampusisonheightenedalert.
denounCe The aCTWhenahatecrimeorbiasincidenthasaffectedtheschool,itisimportanttodenouncethehatefulactinclear,unambiguousterms.Silenceoralackofresponseallowsfear,confusion,misinformationanddis-trusttogrow.
Ifsomeonespraypaintsswastikasontheschool’smainentrance,forexample,orhangsanooseout-sideanAfrican-Americanteacher’sclassroomwindow,itisnotthetimetosay,“Weregretifanyonetookoffense.”Theswastikasandthenooseare offensive,andschoolleadersneedtosayso.
Yourdenunciationoftheincidentshouldbedeliveredtostudentsandstaff,parentsandcaregivers,andthewidercommunity.Postitontheschoolwebsite,andpublishitintheschoolnewspaperornews-letter.Senditouttothemedia.Deliveritovertheschool’sPAsystem,closed-circuitTVorintercom.
Keepitsimple.Focusonthreemainpoints:• Anunacceptableincidenthasoccurred(bespecificinyourdescriptionofit,otherwisegossipand
rumorwillallowmistakeninformationtotakeroot).
• Afullinvestigationisunderway.
• Ourschoolstandsforrespectandinclusion,aplacewhereallarewelcomeandappreciated.
Anexample:“someone or some group has painted swastikas, a long-standing symbol of the worst kind of hate, on the front entrance of our school. it is deplorable, and we denounce it. a full investigation is under way. we are working quickly to cover and remove this vicious symbol of oppression and genocide. hate has no place at this school. we, as a school community, stand for respect and inclusion, a place where all are free to learn in a safe and welcoming environment.”
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 15
Incraftingaresponse,however,someissuesneedtobeconsidered.Isthisanactthatappearstobeperpetratedbyanoutsider?Ifso,thewholeschoolhasbeenattacked,
andyourwordsmustreflectthat,asintheexampleabove.Butwhatifitisanactcarriedoutbymem-bersoftheschoolcommunity,somethingthatmayhaveoralreadyhasdividedstudents?Ifso,youmustapproachthestatementwiththatinmind.
“hateful graffiti has been found in three of our school’s bathrooms. we believe the person or group responsible may be part of our own school community. the images used are deplorable, and we denounce them. an inves-tigation is under way, and we are working quickly to remove these swastikas, vicious symbols of oppression and genocide. hate has no place in this school. we will use this as an opportunity to remind our-selves why we are here. this is an opportunity for education, a time to remind ourselves that we, as a school community, stand for respect and inclusion. we must be a place where all are free to learn in a safe and welcoming environment. that is the work that lies before us.”
Rememberthatyourprimaryaimshouldbetorestoretheschooltohealth,not topunishperpetrators.Your focusshouldbeonwhat the school stands for, that hate has no place here. Focusonthepositivestepstheschoolcommunitywilltaketorestoreorderandrenewitscommitmenttoprovideasafeandwelcom-ingenvironmentwhereallstudentscanlearn.Alsomentiontheneedforhealingwithintheschoolcommunity,aswellassup-portforanyidentitygroupsspecificallytargetedbytheincident.
Andthemessageneedstocomefromyou,thetopadminis-trator,asasignaltostudentsandothersthatthematterisundercontrolandbeingdealtwithat thehighest level.This isnotatimetodelegate.
invesTigaTeAsanadministrator,itisyourresponsibilitytoremaincalm,firmanddeliberateasyougatherthefactssurroundingapotentialbias-basedincident.Don’tletothers’passionsdistractyoufromthistask,anddon’t let therushed feelingofacrisis forceyou intomakinghasty judgments.Empower the incidentresponseteamtocarryoutathoroughinvestigation,andprovideresourcestosupportit.
Takenote:Whileitisnecessarytobealerttobiasorbigotryinanystudentconflict,itisalsoimportantnottojumptoconclusionsbeforefactsaregathered.Noteveryconflictinvolvingstudentsofdifferentracesismotivatedbyracialbias,forexample.Aprematureconclusioncouldfuelracialtensionratherthaneaseit.
Also,maintainperspective.Particularlyamongyoungerstudents,someonemaymakebigotedcommentsorcarryoutotherapparentactsofbiaswithoutunderstandingthefullsignificanceofhisorheractions.Approacheachincidentwithanopenmind,andaskquestionstodeterminewhetherastudentwasactingoutofignoranceratherthanmalice.Thatunderstandingwillhelpyouframeyourresponsetotheincident.
Understandthathoaxessometimeshappen.Individualsmayfabricatereportsofbiasincidents.Thiskindofdeceptioncanreflectavarietyofmotivations,includingmaliciousmischief,adesiretocallatten-tiontooneselfor,ironically,awishtobringattentiontoanissuesuchastheneedforastrongerschoolpolicyonharassment.Whengenuinebiasincidentsgounaddressed,astudentmayexaggerateormakeupfalseincidents—writinghatenotestooneself,forexample—topromptaresponsefromschooloffi-cials.Theseoffensesneedtobetakenseriously,andappropriateconsequencesshouldbeenforced,butafabricatedincidentmayalsoindicatethatrelatedissueshavenotbeenfullyexaminedwithintheschool.
Hereareadditionalconsiderations:• Beup-to-dateondistrictpoliciesandlegalprotocolsanddiscussthemwithdistrictlegalcounseland
lawenforcementofficials,ifthelatterareinvolved.
issue The sTaTemenT as soon as possible. after immediate safety and investigative needs have been addressed, prepare a simple response statement denouncing the hateful act and reiterating the school’s commitment to a respectful, safe learning environment for all students.
inClude voiCes of allies in The sTaTemenT. these allies should come from the list of influential community members that school leaders can call upon. these community leaders or organizations can present a powerful, united front. and involving them will also show that school leaders are reaching out beyond the school grounds as they manage the response.
promise (and deliver) updaTes. make it clear that more complete information will be shared as facts and details become known.
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• Letthecampusknowthatyou(orthepolice,ifthatisthecase)areinafact-gatheringmode.Ifyouaresilentatthispoint,somemayassumeyouaredoingnothingtoaddresstheincident.
• Giveasenseofexpecteddurationofthefact-gatheringphase.“Forthenexttwodays,wewillbegatheringfactsaboutthisincident.Iwillsharespecificnewsasitbecomesavailable.Inthemean-time,pleasecometome,ortoanymemberofthestaff,withinformationorconcernsyoumayhave.”
• Conductindividualinterviewswitheyewitnessesassoonaspossibletocollectfreshrecollections,emphasizingthatthemaingoalistheprotectionoftheschoolcommunity.Holdtheseinterviewsinasecureplacethatdoesn’tputeyewitnessesatadditionalrisk.Askwitnessestohelpidentifyotherswhomayhaveinformation.
• Understandthateyewitnessaccountswillvary,andnotallwitnesseswill feelsafe incomingfor-ward.Talktoasmanypeopleaspossibleinordertobetterunderstandwhathappened.
• Iftheincidentwascaughtonschoolsecuritycameras,reviewthevideotoseeifithelpstoclarifywhathappenedorassistsinidentifyingpotentialwitnesses.
• Investigatetheincidentwithaneyetowardwhetheritispartofalargerpattern.Doesahostileenvi-ronmentexistforsomestudents?Askmembersoftargetedgroupsiftheyaresurprisedbythisinci-dentandwhethersimilarincidentshavehappened.Askwhethertheschoolleaders’responseissat-isfactory,andlistenwithanopenmindifpeoplesayitisn’tsatisfactory.
• Createawayforwitnessestoremainanonymous.Peoplemayfeeltoofrightenedtoidentifythem-selvesbutmayhavevitalinformation.
Whenpoliceare involved,theremaybeadditionalconcernsregardingtheinvestigation.If individualsafetyisafactor,forexample,thenhavingavisibleshowofpolicesupportmightbeacalminginfluence.If,ontheotherhand,thereisalargepoliceresponsetowhatisperceivedasarelativelyminorincident,itcouldexacerbatetensionratherthaneaseit.
Anddonotexpectpolicetomanagethecampusclimate.Policeinvestigatorsarelookingtosolveacrime.Asacampusadministrator,oneofyourkeyobjectivesistorepairandimproveschoolclimateinthewakeofabias-basedcrisis;donotneglectthatroleasyouawaitcompletionofapoliceinvestigation.
involve oThersThisshouldnotbeastarting-from-scratchmoment;youshouldhaveexistingrelationshipswithparentsandcaregivers,communityorganizationsandcivicleaderstowhomyoucanreachoutduringacrisis.Itis,however,amomenttoexpandthoseconnectionsandrelationships.Maybeyoudon’thaveastrongconnectiontoaneighborhoodadjoiningtheschoolcampus,forexample.Nowisthetimetostrengthenit.
Smallincidentsthathavenotdrawnwidespreadattentionmaybesolvedthroughmuchsimplerpro-cesses.(Don’t,however,neglectconsideringwhetherasmallincidentispartofalargerpatternofhostil-ityatyourschool.)Formid-levelandlargerincidents,takeintoaccountthefollowing:
Therearetwooverarchinggroupstoconsider:
direct ties to the school
• Facultyandstaff
• Students
• Parentsandcaregivers
• Schooldistrictofficials
• Alumni
• Whoelse?
indirect ties to the school
• Governmententities(apowerfuloneistheU.S.DepartmentofJustice’sCommunityRelationsServiceatjustice.gov/crs)
• Humanrightsgroups
• Nonprofitsandcivicgroups
• Faithgroups
• Mentalhealthcounselors
• Electedofficials
• Whoelse?
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 17
Askyourself:Atwhatleveldoweneedtokeeptheminformed,andhowwillweaccomplishthat?Thosewithdirecttiestotheschoollikelyneeddaily(ormorefrequentintheearlydays)updates;use
existingchannelsofcommunicationtoaccomplishthis,andconsider(basedonthelevelofimpacttheincidenthashad)emergencymeetings,includinganall-staffmeetingbeforethestartofthefollowingschoolday.
Tothosewithindirectties,youmayreachoutinotherways,askingforspecifichelp,ameetingspace,vocalsupportandsoon.Ifit’saparticularlyhigh-profilemoment,itmaybethatyouarecoordinatingwiththemayortojoinyouattheinitialpressconference,forexample.Andifyoudon’thaveastronglistofcommunityresources,startdevelopingitnow.Aretherehumanrightsgroupsatthelocal,stateornationallevelwhomighthavereadyresourcesandguidance?
Acrucialcomponentintheaftermathofabiascrisisiscounselingforstudents,facultyandstaff.Somemembersoftheschoolcommunitymayneedmoretimeandhelptoprocesswhathashappened.Othersmaywanttotalkaboutfearsrelatedtoacuteorchronicbiasissues.Considerofferingfacilitatedsessionswherestudentsandschoolemployeescantalkabouttheirexperiencesandfeelings.Askschoolcounsel-orstoupdatealistordatabaseofcurrentresourcesandreferralinformation.Seekdistrictandcommu-nityresourcestosupporttheseefforts.
Alsoask:Howcanweseekinput?It’svitalforyoutokeeppeopleinformed,andit’salsoimportantforyoutosetupchannelsforlisten-
ing.Peopleneedtobeheardincrisismoments,andifyoudon’tgivethemaplatformforthat,frustrationanddistrustwillrise.
Set up avenues for written and verbal feedback—perhaps a special email (crisisteam@domain) orphoneline,aswellasmeetingswherepeopleareallowedtospeak,askquestions,andofferthoughtsandguidance.Publicizemeetingswellsoallwhoareinterestedmightattend.WorkwiththePTA,whichmayhaveadditionalresourcesforengagingparents.
Forhigh-profileincidents,acommunitymeetingafewnightsaftertheincident—sayonthethirdorfourthnight—oftencanbeaneffectivetool.
Offerawrittensummaryofthegathering,andmakeitavailabletothosewhoareunabletoattend,viaemail,theschoolwebsiteandlocalmedia.Reiteratehowthisincidenthasviolatedschoolvalues,outlinestepsbeingtakeninresponse,andprovideavenuesforcommunityinvolvement.(Thiswrittencommuni-cationcanbesharedfirstatthestaffandfacultyemergencymeeting,whereyoucansolicitfeedbackforeditingandimprovement.)
work wiTh The mediaMinorincidentsmayflyunderthemediaradar.Anyincidentthatspillsoffschoolgroundsordrawsmorewidespreadattentionalsolikelywilldrawmediaattention.Soatanymomentinacrisis,thenextcallmaybefromareporterwantinginformationandacomment.
Cooperatewiththemedia,asmuchaspossible.Clearly,ifamediaoutletismishandlingthestoryorbreakingschoolpolicyorrulesaboutaccesstothecampus,correctiveactionshouldbetaken.Ingeneral,though,itisbesttoworkwiththemedia,andpresentfactsasyouseethemratherthanbeingatoddswiththem.
Yourschoolordistrictmayhaveapublicinformationofficerormediarelationsspecialist.Ifso,thatpersonshouldbeinvolvedfromtheveryoutset,tobepreparedforearlymediacalls.
That person—or someone else with previous experience working with media or public relations—shouldbedesignatedtohandleallmediainquiries.It’simperativethatthispersonbekeptuptodateonallaspectsofthesituation,throughregularmeetingsandcommunications.
Giveeveryoneonstaffthisperson’scontactinformation,andinstructeveryonetodeliveraclearmes-sage:“Allmediainquiriesarebeinghandledby[X].Hereisthatcontactinformation…”
Asinglehubisvitaltoavoidmiscommunicationandthespreadofconflictingmessagesormisinfor-mation.Iffourpeopleareansweringmediaquestionsinfourdifferentways,youwillendupsendingmixedandmisleadingmessages.
Resisttheurgetodeliveraflat“nocomment.”Thelackofinformationmakesthemediamoreapttolooktootherstoanswertheirquestionsandalsomaybeseenbysomeasalackofactiononyourpart—thatyou
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 18
areignoringtheincident,tryingtosweepitundertherug,nottakingitseriously,hopingitjustmightgoaway.Becauseofthat,a“nocomment”responsemaydamageyoureffortstorebuildcommunity.What’sagoodalternative,whenyouhavelittleornothingtosay?Frametheresponseasavaluesstatement:“We’reveryconcerned.Wedon’tyethaveallthefacts.We’llbereadytomakeacommentwhenwedo.”
Sobepreparedtoworkwiththemedia,andseeitasanopportunityforyoutowidenthedenunciationoftheincidentandtoframethemes-sageyouwanttobeoutthere.
Smallerincidentsmayinvolveonlyafewcallsfromthelocalmedia.For larger incidents, it likely will involve the organization of a pressconferenceforlocal,regionalandsometimesnationalmedia.Thispressconferenceshouldhappenwithinafewdaysoftheincident—probablynotonthesameday,butperhapsontheafternoonofthenextdayoronthemorningofthethirdday.Thetopschooladministratorshouldbethemainspeaker;again,thisisnotatimetodelegate.
Inmostcases,itisabadideatostiff-armthemediaatthiseventwith“no comments” and hostile attitudes. Efforts to do so almost alwaysbackfire.Youwanttoworkwithreportersandreadilyshareasmuchinformationasissafelypossible.Thiscanhelpeasethecrisis.Ontheotherhand,itisnotnecessarytoanswerevery—orevenmost—reporters’questions,especiallyintheearlystagesofacrisiswhenyouarestillfiguringoutwhathappenedandhowtodealwithit.Yournumber-onepriorityisthesafetyofstu-dents,parentsandstaff.
Sowhattosayatthepressconference?Firstofall,keepitsimple.Useshort,directsentences.Provideenough details to explain what happened, but don’t slip into conjecture or guesswork about motivesorotheraspectsoftheincident.Repeatyourmainpointsoften.Haveasimple,nondefensiveresponsereadyforquestionsyoudonotwishtoanswer.“That’snotsomethingIcancommenton.”Or,“Wehaven’tdeterminedthatyet.”
you want to work with reporters and readily share as much information as is safely possible. This can help ease the crisis.
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 19
Here’saroadmapforyourpressconferencemessage.Thissameroadmapcanbehelpfulindevelopingtalkingpointsforteacherswhowillbespeakingtostudentsandtheirfamiliesandcaregivers:• Statewhathashappened.
• Denouncethehatefulincident.
• Indicatewhereyouareintheinvestigation(early,partwaythrough,nearlydone).
• Statewhatstepstheschoolistakinginitsresponsetotheincident(settingupcounselingteamsforstudentsandstaff,creatinganincidentresponseteamtoinvestigatetheincident).
• Describesupportsthatalreadyexistintheschool(anantiharassmentpolicy,corevalues,pledgesoftolerancesignedbystaffandstudents,etc.).
• Indicatethatclearlythereisneedformoreworktobedone.
• Remind people that you are an educational institution, well-positioned to raise awareness andincreaseunderstandingaroundtheissuesraisedbythehatefulincident.
• Statethatdisciplinewillbehandledinamannerappropriatetotheoffense,basedonschoolpolicyandlocallaws.
• Focusonpositivestepsyouplantotakeratherthanonpunitivemeasuresagainstperpetrators.
Andherearesometipsonholdingapressconference:• Choosearoomontheperimeteroftheschool,preferablywithitsownentrance.Otherwise,you’llbe
allowingpeoplewithcamerasandrecordingdevicestowalkdownyourhallways,potentiallycaptur-ingunapprovedimages.(Youalsocanpartnerwithanearbycommunityorganizationandholdthepressconferenceoffcampus.)
• Holdthepressconferenceinaroomfromwhichyoucanexiteasilywhentheconferenceends,andhaveacoupleofpeopleremainbehindtoescortmediafromtheroom.Youshouldbeinapositiontocalmlycallanendtothepressconferenceandleave.
• Setthepressconferenceafterschoolhasbeendismissedandstudentshaveleftthebuildingorbeforetheschooldaystartspriortostudents’arrival.Thiswillminimizemediaseekingstudentandparentcommentsastheyleaveschool.
• Givereporterscopiesofallstatementsyoumake,includinganymessagesdenouncingtheincidentthathavebeenpostedonwebsites,giventostudentsorsenthometofamiliesandcaregivers.
• Don’tannounceanythingdramatictothemediaiffaculty,students,familiesandcaregivershavenotbeeninformedfirst.Itraisestensionanddistrustwhendirectconstituentshearorreadsurprisingnewsinthemedia.
• Speak in short, direct sentences when answering questions. Longer sentences can end up beingeditedbadlyforTV,radioandprintmedia.
• Answerthequestionbeingasked.Don’twanderontounrelatedtopics.
• Bepreparedtoanswerthesamequestionmultipletimeswithoutbecomingirritatedordefensive.Reportersoftenaskthesamequestionindifferentwaystoelicitdeeperresponses.Simplyrepeatyourmainmessageasoftenasnecessary,inacalm,professionaltone.Don’tsoundexasperatedathavingtorepeatsomething;that’snotthetoneorimageyouwanttoseeontheeveningnews.
• Haveareadyresponsetoquestionsyoudonotwishtoanswer,suchas“That’snotsomethingIcanaddress.”Thenask,“Nextquestion?”
• Whenthequestioninghasrunoutofsteam,oryouneedtoreturntodealdirectlywiththecrisis,offerapolite,“Thankyou,”andexit.
Unless there is a dramatic turn of events following the initial incident, one press conference may beenough. After that, send out press statements as key actions occur. If community healing events—a
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 20
candlelightvigilorarallyforinclusion—areplanned,alertthepressinadvance.Coverageofthepositiveaftermathofabiasincidentillustratesthestepsbeingtakentoimproveschoolclimate.
provide aCCuraTe informaTion— and dispel misinformaTionThisislessaboutastepinthecrisis-recoveryprocessandmoreaboutyouroverallmanagementoftheresponsetoanincident.
Misinformationoftenrunsrampantintheaftermathofabias-basedincidentatschool.Afightinvolv-ingtwopeoplebecomesameleeinvolvingadozenormore.Storiesofpossibleretaliationarewhisperedinhallways.Talesof“whatreallyhappened”allowforexaggeration,ratchetingupfears.Inacrisis,youaretaskednotjustwithmanaginginformation,butalsowithmanagingmisinformation.
Youcannotmonitoreverything,butyoucandesignateapersonorasmallgrouptokeepeyesandearsonvariousinformationsources,bringingmisinformationtotheattentionoftheincidentresponseteaminacoordinated,ongoingway.
Read comments on news websites. Browse Facebook and other social media sites. Follow Twitter.Spendtimeinthecafeteriaandthehallways,listeningtowhatisbeingsaid.
Createafactsheetabouttheincident,andkeepitupdated—specificallycorrectingmisinformation.Don’t let misinformation take root in the school or community; once that happens, it becomes muchmoredifficulttocorrect.
Use each new communication—statements, emails, public address announcements, comments atmeetingsandschoolgatherings—tocorrectmisinformationandreiteratefacts,alwayscomingbacktothevaluesmessagethatthereisnoplaceforhateinthisschool.
Andbecarefulasyougatheryourowninformation.Don’tjumptoconclusions.Ifyouarehasty,youmayspreadmisinformationyourselfandthenappeartobebacktrackingorsidesteppingsomethingwhenyoutrytocorrectyourownmisinformation.It’sOKtosay,“Wedon’tknowthatyet.”
Andwhatiftheincidentturnsouttobeahoaxorfabrication?Ithappens,anditcallsforaconstruc-tiveresponseaswell.Inthecaseofahoax,addressthenegativeimpactoftheactanyway,evenasyoudenouncethedeception.Clearupanyrumorsandpointoutthedamagingeffectsthesedeceptionshaveonconfidenceandtrust.“Cryingwolf”—lyingaboutathreat—damagesthepeaceandsafetyoftheentireschoolcommunity.Andremember,justbecausesomeonehascriedwolfdoesnotmeanaproblemdoesnotexist;continuetolookintotheissuetoseeifapatternofhostilityexists.
supporT TargeTed sTudenTsItisvitaltosupportspecificvictimsofabiasincidentorhatecrimeatschool,aswellasshowsupportforthetargetedcommunity.Tocreatethissupport,youmustprovideforphysicalsafety,denouncetheactinunequivocaltermsandfollowthroughonappropriateconsequencesforperpetrators.
Victimsofhatefulactsoftenfeelvulnerable,aloneandangry.Evenwhentheattackisimpersonal—graffitionawall,forexample—victimsoftenfeelpersonallyviolatedandindividuallytargeted.
Avictim’swishesregardingprivacyshouldberespected.Ifthevictimisateacher,thenaclosecol-leagueordepartmentheadshouldcheckinwiththatindividualtodiscussprivacyissues.Inthecaseofastudent,haveadesignatedsafecontactpersonaskthestudentaboutherwishesregardingprivacy.Ifavic-timvoicesadesiretogopublic,initiateaconversationabouttherisksofdoingso(mediascrutiny,nastycommentsinonlinesettings,aninabilitytogobacktoanonymity)tomakesuresheismakinganinformeddecision.Balancetheriskofgoingpublicagainstthereasonsfordoingso.Formanyvictims,thereisarealsenseofpowerinspeakingupandout.Forothers,goingpublicwouldmakeaterriblesituationevenworse.
Herearefiveotherconsiderations:don’T puT viCTims on The spoT. Don’taskvictimstospeakinclassorissuestatementstothemediaoranswerfortheirentireidentitygroupinresponsetotheincident.Thismayreinjurevictimsand
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 21
makethemfeellikeatargetalloveragain.Alsobesen-sitive to the position of minority faculty and staff. Aswithstudentsintheclassroom,neversingleoutmem-bersofaparticularidentitygroupfortheirresponsetobiasincidentsorothermattersofdiversity.(“Joe,you’reAfrican-American.Whatdoyouthinkofthis?”)Atthesametime,welcometheirinputwhenitisoffered.
don’T Take offense. Victims, parents and caregiv-ersmaylashoutattheschoolcommunityfornotdoingenoughtoprotectthemortheirchildren;thisisaverynatural reaction. Acknowledge their feelings and dis-cusswaysthattheschoolplanstopreventfutureinci-dents. Also inform victims and parents about victimadvocacyandservices,counselingandothersupport-iveresourcesattheschoolandinthecommunity.
denounCe efforTs ThaT may reinjure The viCTim. Avoidanysuggestionthat thevictimsome-how“broughton”theattackbyhisorherappearanceorbehavior.Forexample,everyyear,shame-fulreportssurfaceaboutadministratorstellingLGBTvictimstheywouldnotbeharassedorattackedif they just refrained from being “out.” Also, if a victim of harassment retaliates against a bully orharasser,donotallowtheoriginalprovocationtogounaddressedwhenconsideringconsequencesinthewakeofthesecondincident.
apologize on behalf of The sChool CommuniTy. Inprivateorduringanincident-relatedconfer-ence,expresshowsorryyouandtheschoolareforwhathappened.Socialandpsychologicalresearchhasshownthatsincereapologieshavegreatpowerinhealingrupturesintrustandsecuritywithinorganizations,communitiesandprofessionalrelationships.Explainthattheschoolwilldoeverythingpossibletoidentifyoffendersandseethattheyfaceappropriateconsequences.
be sensiTive To privaCy ConCerns in anTi-lgbT inCidenTs. IfabiasincidenttargetsaLGBTstu-dentorteacher,orperceivedLGBTstudentorteacher,avoidmakinganissueofthevictim’ssexualorientationorgender identity.Focusonthe incident,safetyandpreventionof future incidents.Beverycarefulnotto“out”studentsorteacherswhohavenotsharedtheirsexualorientationpublicly.
seek jusTiCe, avoid blame Whenanoffenderorgroupofoffendersisidentified,thereisadesireamongsomepeopletofocussolelyondisciplineandpunishment.Appropriateactionshouldbetakenagainstanyoffender.Ifacrimehasoccurred,thatlikelywillbeinthehandsoflawenforcementandcourts.Ifacrimehasnotoccurred,letschoolpolicybeyourguide.
Violentoffenses,ofcourse,requirestern,nonnegotiableconsequences, includingseparationfromtheschoolthroughsuspensionorexpulsion.Informtheoffenderandhisorheradultfamilymembersaboutcom-munitycounselingservicesthatmaybehelpful.Ifastudent’sbullyingorabusivebehaviorischronic,pushforapsychologicalevaluationthatmayrevealmental,emotionalorbehavioralissuesthatneedattention.
Whethertheincidentwasviolentornonviolent,oneofyourmostimportanttasksasanadministratoristofocusonrestorationandnotmerelypunishment.Bias-basedincidentsareripeoccasionsforedu-cation.Fearandignoranceoftenareatleastpartiallytoblameforthistypeofincident.Thiscrisisisanopportunitytoteachaboutcultureandrace,tohelpguidestudentstoadeeperunderstandingthatourdiversityisapowerfulforceforgood,bindingusbyourcommonhumanity.
Herearethreekeyissuestoconsider:The power of poliCy. Understandably,victimsandtheirfamiliesmayjudgesomedisciplinarymea-surestobeineffectiveortoolenient.Thisislesslikelytohappenifschoolshaveaddressedharassment
it is vital to support specific victims of a bias incident or hate crime at school, as well as showsupport for the targeted community.
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 22
andbias-motivatedincidentsintheirpolicies,particularlypoliciesthathavebeenwell-publicizedandreviewedbytheschoolandthecommunityatlarge.Beopentotheneedforchange;usethisincidentasanopportunitytoreviewandimprovepolicy.
fair enforCemenT. Whenincidentsdooccur,itiscrucialthatschoolsenforcetheconsequencesfairlyandwithoutregardtotheoffender’sstatus.Ifsomeoffendersseemtobetreatedmorelenientlythanothers,thevictimsandtheschoolcommunitywillhavelittlesenseofjusticeandclosure.Offendersalsowillbelesslikelytochangetheirbehaviorandvictimsmayfeelmorevulnerableandbelesslikelytoreportfutureabuses.Thisdynamiccancontributetoadivisiveandunsafeschoolenvironment.
a CommuniTy approaCh. Allianceswithparentsandcaregivers,communityorserviceorganizationsandadvocacygroupscanhelpschoolofficialsdevelopmorecreativeconsequencesthatwillrequireoffenderstofacethedestructivenatureofwhattheydidandperhapsevenhelpthemtakestepstorepairthedamagetheyhavedone.Dialoguegroupsandpeermediationprogramsareparticularlyhelpfulforincidentsinvolvinglargegroupsofstudents.Somecommunitiesalsohaverestorative-justiceprogramsinplace,whichcanhelp.LosAngelesCounty,forexample,createdJOLT(JuvenileOffendersLearningTolerance),aprogramaimedtoprovideeducationandawarenesstofirst-timehatecrimeoffenders.
promoTe healingAhatefulacthasrockedtheschool,andthecrisis-responseeffortcontinuestomoveforward.It’seasytogetsofocusedonspecifictasks—investigatingtheincident,handlingthepressconference,addressingthevictims’needs—thatthebiggerpictureislost.
Yourcommunityhasbeenwounded.Thatwoundmighthavecomefromasourceoutsidetheschool,suchasvandalssprayinghatefulgraffitionschoolwalls.Oritmayhavecomefrominsidetheschool,identifyingadeepdivisionamongstudents.Eitherway,opportunitiesforhealingneedtobepartofyourcrisisresponse.
Asthecrisiswindsdown—soonerratherthanlater—itishelpfultofindawaytogathertogetherandshare messages of healing and unity. This becomes an initial step into the postcrisis phase, a bridgebetweencrisismanagementandlongertermstrategicplanningaroundimprovingschoolclimate.
Oneoptionistoplanaschoolwideorcommunity-wideshowofunity.Orchestratingademonstrationofschoolunityafterahatecrimeorhigh-profilebiasincidentcanbeawaytobeginrepairingthesenseofcommunitywithinaschool.Distributingrib-bonsorwearingcertaincolorscanbecomesym-bolsofdeterminationtorecoverfromtheinci-dentandshowunityinopposinghateandprej-udiceatschool.Involvetheneighborhoodandwidercommunity,asappropriate.Thistypeofgathering can have a galvanizing effect, espe-ciallyifitincludesapledgetoworktogethertoaddressissuesraisedbytheincident.
Consider creating posters or buttons, pro-moting school values. “Our school stands for…”Paintthatsloganonabanneralongthehall-way,andinvitestudentstoaddtheirthoughts.inclusion. fairness. kindness.
A march around the school. A candlelightvigil.Amuralpaintedonthewallthathadheldthehatefulgraffiti.
Donotframethisastheendofyourefforts,but rather as a beginning of further worktowardimprovingschoolclimateandculture.
a tool foR youR toolBoxteaching tolerance has created a nation-wide program that can help kick-start this kind of change. Mix It Up at Lunch promotes inclusion and bridge building within schools. (tolerance.org/mix-it-up/what-is-mix)
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 23
Section three
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 24
WHat comes next?
Thecrisishasfaded.Mediahavemovedontoothernewsstories.Schooldayshavereturnedtoarela-tivelynormalroutine.You’vehadtimetocatchyourbreath.
Andnowtherealworkbegins.Changeisnoteasy,particularlylong-termchangeinvolvingaschool’sclimateorculture.RolandS.Barth,educatorandfounderofthePrincipals’CenteratHarvardUniversity,putsitthisway:
“Allschoolculturesareincrediblyresistanttochange,whichmakesschoolimprovement—fromwithinorwithout—usuallysofutile.Unlessteachersandadministratorsacttochangethecultureofaschool,allinno-vations…willbedestinedtoremainsuperficialwindowdressing,incapableofmakingmuchofadifference.”
Thisiswhereyou,asanadministrator,canmakearealdifference,byputtingtime,energyandresourcestowardimprovementplans.
EducatorSoniaGalaviz,anIdahoelementaryschoolteacher,urgesadministratorstoholdthemselvesandotherstohighstandards.“Themessageis,‘I’mwillingtopushmyself,andyouguysarecomingwithme,’”shesaid.
Thepushisworthit.Increasingly,educationalleadersatalllevelsacknowledgetheroleofclimateinthesuccessesandfail-
ingsofschools.Asteadystreamofresearch—includingstudiesbytheNationalSchoolClimateCenterandtheHighSchoolSurveyofStudentEngagement—indicatesthatapositiveschoolclimatereducesconflicts, harassment, bullying and violence, making schools safer and more inclusive. It also fosterssocialandcivicdevelopmentwhilegraduallybolsteringstudentacademicperformanceaschangesgaintraction.Amorepositiveschoolclimatealsocanimprovestaffmorale,boostingemployeesatisfactionandretentionrates.
Enterthispostcrisisphasewithanopenmind.Theworktochangetheclimateandcultureofaschoolcanturnlong-heldbeliefsupsidedown.
Whenyoucloselyexaminepatterns—inclassassignments,indisciplinereferrals,inaccesstoprivi-legesandopportunities—youmaydiscoverthattheschoolhasbeensendingunintentionalmessagesthatresultinstratificationoftheschoolcommunity,withdeepdivisionsbetweenthe“haves”andthe“have-nots.”AgoodstartforprofessionaldevelopmentisaTeachingTolerancepresentation,“SocialJusticeEquityAudits,”at(tolerance.org/activity/social-justice-equity-audits).
Takeadeepbreathandkeeptheobjectiveinmind—thedesiretocreateaschoolwhereallarewel-comeandallcanthrive.
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 25
administrators’ postcrisis checklist
lessons learnedDebriefing isanessentialstep in thepostcrisisprocess.Bringtogether the incidentresponseteamtoreviewlessonslearned.
Butdon’tstopthere.“Always make sure there’s an opportunity for exchange with multiple perspectives,” advised Enid
Pickett,aCaliforniaelementaryschoolteacher.Expandthediscussiontoincludestudents,parentsandguardians,andcommunitymembers.Thoughts
andguidancefromtheseconstituentsshouldbegathered,reviewedandprioritizedaspartoftheeffortforaddressingshortcomingswithintheschoolcommunity.
It’sbesttocarryoutafacilitatedmeeting,withstrongnotetaking.Theobjectiveistodevelopawork-inglistofspecificimprovements,whichcanbecomearoadmapforchange.Thislistmayindicatetheneedforpolicychanges,roleassignmentsandskillbuilding.
Herearesomequestionstogetyoustarted:• Whatworkedwell?
• Wherearethereopportunitiesforimprovement?
• Whatresourcesdidwehave,andhowdidweusethem?
• Whatresourcesdidwelack,andhowmightweintroduceandusenewresourcesinthefuture?
Steeranswersawayfromsimplefinger-pointingorblaming.Dr.JamesComer,achildpsychiatristandeducationalresearcheratYaleUniversity,saysthataschool’s
climate-improvementprocessworksbestwitha“no-fault”framework.Inthismanagementstyle,whenpeopleorgroupsmakemiscalculationsormistakes inefforts to improveschoolclimate, theyarenotblamedbutreceivereassurance,support,guidanceandencouragementtotryagain.Ano-faultframe-workdevelopstrust,encouragesinitiativeandpromotesaculturethatconstructssuccessfromsetbacks.
“Ifyoublamepeopleyoubecomedefensive[and]fightmore,”Comersaid.“Butifyoufocusonsolv-ingtheproblemthenpeoplestartworkingtogethertofocusonwhat’sreallyimportantandwhat’sgoodforthechildren.”
Sosteerclearofblame,butdonotsteerawayfromdiscomfort.“Iwantustobeuncomfortable,towakeupinthemiddleofthenightthinkingaboutthesethings,”
Pickettsaid.“Iwantustobedrivinghomeandbebuggedbythis.Iwantustochallengeourown-isms,ourownbiases.”
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 26
planning for The long TermYou’vedebriefed,discussingthelessonslearned.Nowisthetimetoputthoselessonstowork.
Pull together a committee of effective, collaborative-minded people from among students, faculty,staff,parentsandcaregivers,andmembersofthelargercommunitytocreateaschoolclimatetaskforce.Taskforcemembersshouldincludenotjusttraditionalstudentleadersbutrepresentativesofmultipleidentitygroupswithintheschool.
Aschoolclimatecoordinatorcanhandleday-to-dayplanningandmanagementofthetaskforce,butcommittedleadershipfromtheschool’stopadministratorisessentialforsuccess.Thetopadministratorshouldpromotethegroupstrongly,reassuretheschoolcommunitythatthisisnotjustafeel-goodexer-cise,andthenbackupthewordswithconcreteactions.
Resourcesalsomustbeprovided,otherwiseitwillappeartobeanemptyeffort.Supportfortheseeffortsisgrowing;increasingly,statesarelookingatschoolclimateasavitalelementinstudents’abilitytolearnaswellasteachers’abilitytoteach.
“Whenschoolsimproveschoolclimate,theyaresafer,”saidDr.JonathanCohen,executivedirectoroftheNationalSchoolClimateCenter(schoolclimate.org/index.php),aweb-basedresourcefoundedin1996astheCenterforSocialandEmotionalEducation.“Theyhavemorepositiveoutcomes,lowerdrop-outratesandviolencegoesdown.”
Ofcourse,therearepitfalls.Herearesomeissuestoanticipate:CyniCs and naysayers. Someone, likely more than one someone, will grumble and ask, “What’sanothertaskforcegoingtodo?”Steerconversationstomoreconstructivetopics.Askthosewhospeaknegativelyabouttheefforttoidentifyforyouwhattheywanttochangeintheschoolclimate.Engagethemintheeffortinwhateverwayyoucan.
finger-poinTing and blaming. Shiftnegativeorpessimisticcommentstowardamoreconstructivepath,identifyingopportunitiesforimprovementandconstructivechangesintheschoolcommunity.
Too muCh informaTion. Youriskgettingboggeddownbyalengthylist,withindividualschampi-oningpetprojects.Createaprocessforprioritizationthatinvolvesgroupinput.Aimforashortlistofhigh-prioritychanges.
one sTep aT a Time. Attemptingtochangeawholesystemcanbeparalyzing.Aimtoidentifyindivid-ualchangesthathavethemostpotentialimpact.Takeonestep,thenseewhatcomesnext.
perCepTion gaps. Teacherssaytheschoolissafe,butstudentssayitisn’t.Orparentsseebias-basedbullyingasabiggerproblemthanyoudo.Theseareareaswheremorediscussionandmoreunder-standingareneeded.Don’tdismisstheviewsyoudisagreewith;taketimetoexplorethem,andbeopentoadjustingyouroutlook.
Worktonavigatethesepitfalls,butdon’tallowthemtoderailtheprocess.Givethisefforttime.“Schoolleadersdon’tspendenoughtimeintheactionplanningstage;theywanttomeasureitand
move right away to implementing,” said Dr. Jonathan Cohen of the National School Climate Center.“That’sunderstandable,butitgivesshortshrifttoessentialplanning.”
CapaCiTy buildingThisisaschool,aplacewherestudentslearn.Therearehistoryandart,mathandscience.There’salsoanelementofsocialemotionallearning(SEL)thattakesplaceatschool.Schoolisthemostcommonplacewhereyoungpeopleinteractwithabroadspectrumofothersfromdifferentculturesandabilities,back-groundsandraces.
Thisiswherewecanchangetheworld.Manyeducatorsaremissiondriven.Theycametothisprofessionwiththatworld-changingnotionin
mind,knowingthattherelationshipbetweeneducatorandstudentcanbepowerfulandlife-changing.Therearepeoplethroughoutyourschoolwhohaveheartsandapassionforthiswork.Somemayhavebecomejaded.Othersmayfeeltired,overwhelmedbypartsofthejobthatdrainthemofthatoriginalpassion.
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 27
Nowisthetimeforaplansteepedinhope—thehopethatsensitivityandleadershiptrainingcangenu-inelyimproveschoolclimate;thehopethatwecandevelopcompassioninstudentswhowillbecomecul-turallyaware,community-buildingstewardsofourfuture;thehopethatwecanmakeadifference.
Teaching Tolerance has had the opportunity to be present in the aftermath of several bias-relatedschoolcrises.Certainlydiscussionsdealtwithaspectsoftheninestepsoutlinedinthecrisissectionofthisguide.Buttherealpower,therealhope,arrivedinleadershipandsensitivitytrainingthatinvolvedstudents,staffandcommunitymembersattheseschools.
Social emotional learning (SEL) revolves around self-awareness and self-management, with anemphasisonsocialawareness,relationshipskillsandresponsibledecisionmaking.HowdoImanagemyfeelings?WhatsympathyandempathydoIhaveforothers?HowcanImaintainpositiverelationships?AndhowcanIdealwithsituationsinaconstructiveandethicalmanner?
Keytoincidentsofbiasandhatethatmayoccuratschool,SELpromotesunderstandingoftheselfandothers.Respectingdifferences.Managingstrongemotions.Resistingnegativepeerpressure.Workingcooperatively.Learningtomanageandnegotiateconflictnonviolently.Seekingandofferinghelp.
SELcanbepartofprofessionaldevelopment.Itcanbeusedbyteachersinclassroommanagement,orbycounselorsintheirworkinschools.Therecanbespecialtrainings.Parentsandcaregiversandthewidercommunitycanbeinvolved.
Thegoal is tobuildcapacity—inyourschoolcommunityandinthe individualswhocomprisethatcommunity.Thiswillnotonlyenrichyourschool,italsowillmakeitlesslikelythatahatecrimeorbiasincidentwillarisewithintheschool.Andiftheincidentcomesfromsomeoneoutsidetheschool,youareallthemorepreparedtodealwithitinaconstructive,forward-lookingmanner.
What does a school community withoutthiscapacitylooklike?
“It’sacultureoffear,”saidEnidPickett,a California elementary schoolteacher.“People are afraid of engaging with eachother.Itclosespeopledown.”
That’s why Sonia Galaviz, an Idaho ele-mentaryschoolteacher,callsonthiskindofcapacitybuildingasawayofcreating“acul-turethatexposesanddealswithfears.”
“It’stime,”Galavizsaid,“toseethingsinadifferentlight.”
tools for your toolbox that encourage selPositiveBehavioralInterventionsandSupportstolerance.org/sites/default/files/documents/
pBis_factsheet_flier_web.pdf
NoName-CallingWeeknonamecallingweek.org
DayofSilencedayofsilence.org
CollaborativeforAcademic,SocialandEmotionalLearning(CASEL)
casel.org
RootsofEmpathyrootsofempathy.org
StrongKidsstrongkids.uoregon.edu
Edutopiaedutopia.org/social-emotional-learning
a tool foR youR toolBoxteaching tolerance offers a presentation on social Justice equity audits (with guide-lines for taking a school survey). the profes-sional development presentation is designed to help educators move beyond simple accountability models to those that include an equity framework for school reform. (tolerance.org/activity/social-justice-equity-audits)
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 28
1 Before a crisis occurs
forms for section one
Worksheet 1—our school climate team
Worksheet 2—our policies
Worksheet 3—What is the climate of our school?
Worksheet 4—preparation checklist
When there’s a crisis2 forms for section two
Worksheet 1—incident Report
Worksheet 2—meeting Record
Worksheet 3—incident Response plan
3 after the Worst is over
forms for section tHree
Worksheet 1—incident Resolution evaluation
appendix
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 29
oUr school climate team
Who will manage incident response on campus?
Name: Position:
Phone: Email:
Who will manage incident response for the district?
Name: Position:
Phone: Email:
Who will communicate about incidents?
Name: Position:
Phone: Email:
other incident Response team members
Name: Position:
Phone: Email:
Name: Position:
Phone: Email:
Name: Position:
Phone: Email:
Name: Position:
Phone: Email:
worksheeT 1 // our school climate team // page one
1 Before a crisis occurs
responding to Hate and Bias at scHool
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 30
commUnity resoUrces
pta/ptsa
Name: Phone:
sRo/law enforcement
Name: Phone:
lea or county ed agency
Name: Phone:
faith community
Name: Phone:
municipal agency or commission
Name: Phone:
doJ/cRs/other fed agency
Name: Phone:
other local service providers
Name: Phone:
Name: Phone:
Name: Phone:
worksheeT 1 // our school climate team // page two
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 31
oUr policies
Thedistrictpolicyonaddressinghateandbiasincidentswaslastrevisedon .
campus code of conduct
attach the following
• Districtpolicyonaddressinghateandbiasincidents
• Relevantadministrativeregulationsorotherprevailingpolicies
worksheeT 2 // our policies // page one
1 Before a crisis occurs
responding to Hate and Bias at scHool
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 32
What is the climate of oUr school?
Schoolclimatesurveyused(attachresults):
Datedeployed:
Participationrate:
Whereareour“hotspots”oncampus?
What is the capacity of our staff to handle bias and hate incidents?
Professionaldevelopmentprovidedondiversity-relatedtopics:
Date: Provider:
Staffpresent:
Contentoverview:
worksheeT 3 // What is the climate of our school? // page one
1 Before a crisis occurs
responding to Hate and Bias at scHool
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 33
(Contentoverviewcontinued)
Professionaldevelopmentondistrictpoliciesandexpectationsonrespondingtohateandbias:
Date: Provider:
Staffpresent:
Contentoverview:
Othertypesofrelevanttraining:
Date: Provider:
Staffpresent:
Contentoverview:
worksheeT 3 // What is the climate of our school? // page two
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 34
preparation checklist
develop incident response plan.
create media plan.
have plans reviewed by risk management personnel at district.
share plans with responsible parties.
train both certificated and classified staff on plans.
schedule review and revision dates for periodic review of plans.
worksheeT 4 // preparation checklist
1 Before a crisis occurs
responding to Hate and Bias at scHool
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 35
incident report
Date: Time: Location:
PersonsDirectlyInvolvedintheIncident
Name: Position(e.g.,student,staff,parent):
Name: Position(e.g.,student,staff,parent):
Name: Position(e.g.,student,staff,parent):
Name: Position(e.g.,student,staff,parent):
Name: Position(e.g.,student,staff,parent):
Witnesses
Name: Position(e.g.,student,staff,parent):
Name: Position(e.g.,student,staff,parent):
Name: Position(e.g.,student,staff,parent):
Name: Position(e.g.,student,staff,parent):
Name: Position(e.g.,student,staff,parent):
Criticalincidentdescription:
Wastheincidentviolent? Waspropertydamaged?
worksheeT 1 // incident report // page one
2 When there’s a crisis
responding to Hate and Bias at scHool
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 36
Whenandtowhomwasthiseventinitiallyreported?
Wereanystepstakentoaddresstheincident?Ifso,whenwerethesestepstaken?Whatwastheoutcome?
Wasanythingaboutthisincidentcommunicatedtootherstudentsorparents?Ifso,whatandbywhom?
Doesthisincidentfallunderthesuspensionorexpulsioncodes?
Hasthisincidentreachedthethreatlevel?
Isthereevidencethatthisincidentispartofalargerpatternofbullyingorbias?
Havetherebeensubsequentincidents?Ifso,pleasedescribeindetail.
worksheeT 1 // incident report // page two
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 37
meeting record
Date: Time: Location:
Participants
Schoolstaff:
Parent(s):
Student(s):
Others:
Descriptionofmeeting:
worksheeT 2 // meeting record
2 When there’s a crisis
responding to Hate and Bias at scHool
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 38
incident response plan
Plannedactionstosupportthosemostaffectedbytheincident:
Schoolsupportandcommunityresourcesneededtoimplementthisplan:
Plannedremediationfortheperpetratorsoftheincident:
Schoolsupportandcommunityresourcesneededtoimplementthisplan:
worksheeT 3 // incident response plan // page one
2 When there’s a crisis
responding to Hate and Bias at scHool
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 39
Plannedactionstoaddresstheneedsofwitnessesandbystanders:
Schoolsupportandcommunityresourcesneededtoimplementthisplan:
Whoisresponsibleforensuringfollowthroughontheseactions?
Name: Position:
Phone: Email:
Isthereatimetableforcompletingtheseactions?Ifso,describe.
Whowillcommunicatewithparentsandupdateotherstakeholdersasnecessary?
Name: Position:
Phone: Email:
worksheeT 3 // incident response plan // page two
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 40
incident resolUtion evalUation
Didweimplementourplaneffectively?
@ @ @ @ @no mostly no neither yes or no mostly yes yes
Didourincidentresponseteamhavetherightpersonnelandresourcestoeffectivelymanagetheincident?
@ @ @ @ @no mostly no neither yes or no mostly yes yes
Wastheentireschoolstaffappropriatelypreparedtorespondtotheincident?
@ @ @ @ @no mostly no neither yes or no mostly yes yes
Wasourcommunicationplansufficient?
@ @ @ @ @no mostly no neither yes or no mostly yes yes
Wereourcampuscommunitiespreparedtorespondtothecriticalincident?
@ @ @ @ @no mostly no neither yes or no mostly yes yes
Didwemakeeffectiveuseofourparentandcommunityallies?
@ @ @ @ @no mostly no neither yes or no mostly yes yes
Wasourcodeofconducteffectiveinaddressingstudentbehaviorrelatedtotheincident?
@ @ @ @ @no mostly no neither yes or no mostly yes yes
worksheeT 1 //incident resolution evaluation
3 after the Worst is over
responding to Hate and Bias at scHool
teaching tolerance // responding to hate and bias at school 41
aCknowledgmenTs
abouT The auThor BrianWilloughbywasaprintjournalistfor20yearsandisaformermanagingedi-torof teaching tolerance. HestudiedracerelationsandthehistoryofracismasaJohnS.KnightfellowatStanfordUniversity.HeandhisfamilyliveinthePacificNorthwest.
ReVieWeRsHeidiBeirich,intelligence project directorLeciaBrooks,director of outreach for the southern poverty law centerMarionSteinfels,communications director for the southern poverty law centerFredGomeztrejo,teacher and coach, godinez high schoolJenniferGomeztrejo,consultant ii, los angeles county office of educationVicenteBravo,consultant ii, los angeles county office of education
staffwriTer
BrianWilloughby
projeCT manager
MaureenCostello
projeCT advisor
MichelleGarcia
ediTor
SeanPrice
Copy ediTors
PatriciaBrennan
design direCTor
RussellEstes
designer
SunnyPaulk
A project of the southern poverty lAw centertolerAnce.org
400 wAshington Avenue MontgoMery, AlAbAMA 36104
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