Lower Merion School District: LMSD Statement On Violence Toward Asian Americans

Press release from the Lower Merion School District:

2021-03-18

Statement from the Lower Merion School District Regarding Violence toward Asian Americans

The Lower Merion School District denounces prejudice, violence and hate crimes toward any person or group of people. Recent news stories reflect an increase in violent crimes directed toward Asians and Asian Americans, including this week's shooting rampage near Atlanta. Anti-Asian rhetoric and violence are evidence of racism, which we cannot tolerate or accept.

The Lower Merion School District is committed to providing a safe, supportive and inclusive learning environment for all students and employees. We are dedicated to ensuring that every student has equal access to the District's educational programs and activities. We firmly believe that establishing a deep sense of belonging is fundamental to our work. Further, we believe our work is fundamental to building a future for our community and our world, where each individual is equally valued and every person's potential can be realized and fulfilled.

This is a difficult time for our community, especially our Asian and Asian-American staff, students and their families. We urge our students to reach out to a trusted teacher or their school counselor to discuss their feelings and concerns. We urge our staff to take advantage of the mental health resources provided by our Human Resources Department. And we urge every member of our community to listen to and support one another.

Lucy Klain PresidentLower Merion Board of School Directors

Robert L. CopelandSuperintendentLower Merion School District

To learn more about LMSD's ongoing Equity and Anti-Racism work, please visit www.lmsd.org/equity.

This press release was produced by the Lower Merion School District .The views expressed here are the author’s own.