EQUITY

presumably be rewritten.

“To me, why would we have a rst reading and then go into a work session, which is intended to change the document,” she said.

She motioned to table the rst reading until after the work session and the board agreed unanimously with the understanding that Peterson’s suggestions would be the starting place at the May 8 work session.

In addition to Peterson’s proposed updates to the equity policy, he also o ered changes to the district’s parent and family engagement policy.

Department.

Ganzy provided recordings of conversations between her and district administrators that took place on April 20. According to the recording, the student in the group chat who advocated for a second Holocaust received a ve-day suspension. A second student, who threatened to shoot Black people, had not been suspended as of April 25.

Deputy Superintendent Danelle Hiatt is the administrator in the recording, according to Ganzy. Hiatt e changes include a section outling ‘parental rights and expectations,’ which uses exact wording from the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism’s website page on school trust. e Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism is a conservative group whose Douglas County members have opposed the equity policy. Peterson told Colorado Community Media that the language similarities were a coincidence. During the meeting, he said the suggestions were informed by parent feedback.

Other suggested language says the district will not compel speech against someone’s values or beliefs and will abide certain parental decisions, such as opting in or out of testing or curriculum and consenting told Ganzy in the meeting that the district would be addressing the issue. Hiatt also apologized.

“I’m just really disgusted by what you’ve shown me on your phone about the behavior of our students and it is not OK,” Hiatt said on the recording.

Meanwhile, Ganzy has not allowed Jeramiah to go to school since April 20, fearing for his safety.

“He’s the victim, but he’s the one not in school,” she said. “He’s being robbed of his education.” to mental health counseling for their students. e only feedback from other board members on the parent engagement changes came from Meek, who said she felt they should be in a separate policy.

“I really don’t think the parent’s rights and expectations belong in this policy because the way the policy is stated. e purpose of this policy is about connecting and engaging with parents,” she said. “I absolutely support parent’s rights and I think if we want to look at a separate policy that talks about rights, that would make more sense to me.”

Changes were also proposed for the district’s policies on bullying, student mental health services, selection of controversial learning resources, textbook and curriculum adoption, instructional resources and student wellness. e proposed changes to the other policies were drafted by district sta as part of the implementation plan for the equity policy, which Superintendent Erin Kane presented on April 25.

Ganzy added that she’s concerned that Jeramiah’s experience shows the district is failing to create a safe environment for all students and that it needs to improve diversity, equity and inclusion.

“ ey consider hate crimes the same as bullying in every handbook in Douglas County,” she said. e Douglas County School District will discuss the proposed equity policy during a workshop on May 8. e policy has been a source of controversy for the district since 2020.

Minor changes are suggested for the student wellness, textbook and curriculum adoption, controversial learning material and instructional resources policies. Potential updates to the bullying and student mental health services policies are more extensive.

All of the policy changes will be voted on at the board’s May meeting.