A San Francisco-area school district hosted a social event for employees of color, adding that white colleagues were not to be included due to uneasiness and mistrust.
The Acalanes Union High School District in Contra Costa County hosted the event on Feb. 8 to welcome the new year, according to an email that was shared with Fox News.
“Hello POCC staff, we are ready for our first coming together in 2023,” the email said. “We are looking forward to seeing our people of color in the district. Please invite any employee of color to this event.”
It was written by Lynna McPhatter-Harris, director of Student Support Equity & Inclusion for the district. She added: “Be reminded that we have avoided inviting people that are not of color as there remains feelings of uneasiness and mistrust and we need this to be a safe space for our people of color. Please reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns.”
Acalanes previously came under fire in 2020 when board members continued to keep schools closed during the yearlong lockdown despite numerous other districts in California that found ways to reopen.
This caused Mark Woolway, a father of four, to run for an open board seat due to what he called a “lack of leadership,” Fox News reported.
“I think that this divisiveness is very unfortunate and it’s counterproductive,” said Woolway, who is white. “But again, I think that this is reflective of a lot of the broader issues that are happening in the country.”
The exclusion of whites at school events follows a trend in Colorado and Rhode Island, according to news reports.
Last year, Centennial Elementary School in Denver hosted a “families of color playground night,” while Wheeler School in Rhode Island had a “Students of Color affinity group,” Fox News reported.
* Article from: The Washington Examiner
