Speaking Out Against Hate and Racism toward People of Asian Descent

March 18, 2021

Dear Snoqualmie Valley families,

In recent weeks, we have seen news reports of escalating hate crimes against people of Asian descent across the nation (149% increase) including in Seattle (33% increase). Tuesday’s tragic shooting incidents in Atlanta that killed eight people -- six of whom were Asian women -- provide another disturbing reminder of the increasing number of acts targeting Asian Americans and immigrants.

We recognize that crimes like these instill deep hurt and fear in our Asian students, families, colleagues and community members. Please know that we stand with all people of Asian descent in the U.S. and around the world, in the fight against racism. We condemn hate and violence against any person due to their race, ethnicity or identity, and are saddened that such incidents continue throughout society today.

Snoqualmie Valley School District seeks to become an anti-racist organization focused on eliminating racism, racial and other identity inequities, and institutional bias.  We are committed to educating our students about issues of race and identity with the goal of creating an inclusive learning environment where all students can thrive and all families feel safe, respected, and that they belong.

We Must Educate to Combat Misinformation and Racism

As a public school system, in addition to condemning these acts, we must also educate. It is important that we are all prepared with information to combat misinformation and racism. Below are some resources available for students and families:

• King County partners at CISC have put together informational flyers and videos about hate and bias. Their content is available in Vietnamese, Mandarin, and Cantonese.
• Public Health Seattle & King County has provided resources to address and prevent discrimination.
• Get involved and speak up against anti-Asian hate.
• Disrupting Bias: Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance) four steps process for disrupting bias. 
• Responding to Bullying: We encourage you to talk with your children about what they can do in response to bullying they experience or witness. Stopbullying.gov provides resources to guide your discussion. 
• Activity to Understand History: Walk the "Redlining Heritage Trail" which intersects across the Central District and International District. The trail highlights the impacts of segregation shared across Black and Asian neighborhoods. 

How to Report Discrimination

At SVSD:

• If you believe that you or an SVSD student or staff member has been discriminated against, you can report the incident(s) to your school's principal, or to our District Compliance Officer, Executive Director of Student Services Nicole Fitch at 425-831-8015 or fitchn@svsd410.org.
• You can also report a safety concern through our district’s Safe Schools Tipline. (As much details as you can share, confidentially, will help us investigate an incident.)
• Our district website has more information about our district policies and resources on this webpage: Harrassment and Bullying: A Guide for Students Staff & Parents.

Outside of SVSD:

If you would like to talk with someone outside of the district about your concerns, you can contact:

• Washington State OSPI Equity Civil Rights Office 360-725-6162 equity@k12.wa.us
• U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights 206-607-1600 OCR.Seattle@ed.gov
• The Washington State Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs has also developed a resource for reporting hate and discrimination.  

We are stronger as a community when we all do our part to stand up against discrimination and support all families.

Sincerely,

Robert W. Manahan, Ed. D

Superintendent