Superintendent’s Blog: Combatting Antisemitism

Dear BSD Families and Students, 

There are so many great things happening in the Bellevue School District. Yet, I am first to acknowledge that we are far from immune to setbacks or challenging issues. This past week, we had an incident of a swastika drawn on a school playground followed by a communication from the school that prompted many to question our commitment to combatting antisemitism. For that, I apologize. 

I want to reiterate my stance that we do not tolerate antisemitism in our schools. This includes not tolerating any imagery associated with antisemitism, including the swastika. In my blogpost from September 25, 2024, I articulate our stance on antisemitism and our commitment to supporting our Jewish students, families, and staff. Regarding the swastika, Paul Regelbrugge, Director of Education from the Holocaust Center for Humanity, shared with me that “[the swastika] was co-opted by the Nazis, sadly obliterating whatever positive value that was ever attached to the ancient symbol. It is the quintessence of hate symbols worldwide.” Paul also shared this resource on the history of the swastika from the National Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. acknowledging the ancient origins of the symbol and how it was co-opted by Hitler during WWII.  

The harm of this incident was amplified by the timing – the week of Rosh Hashanah and the week before the one-year anniversary of the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. Many Jewish students, staff and families are fearful of potential antisemitic incidents on or around October 7.  

Unity Day On October 16 

Our students, the next generation of leaders, have shown time and again a deep sense of care for one another, a value in the great diversity of our community, a profound sense of justice, and a mutual respect for one another’s religions, identities, and politics. I encourage our students to model the way for all of us by being extra thoughtful about impact, more so than intent, during this challenging time.  

October 16 is Unity Day. In a time of increasing divisiveness and polarization, what a great opportunity for all of us to come together and show our commitment to one another and to our community. 

Both/And Guidance on Protests in the Bellevue School District: BOTH Freedom of Speech AND Freedom from Discrimination 

Student protest has a long history in our country, with youth leading the charge on issues such as women’s suffrage, gun safety, civil rights, and climate action. Student protest has historically been a powerful driver of change and is protected under the First Amendment of the US Constitution.  

Simultaneously, we are committed to providing equal educational opportunity and treatment for all students in all aspects of the academic and activities program without discrimination based on race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, or mental or physical disability.  

Depending on the subject (or timing) of any protest, students, families, and staff in our community can be deeply concerned for their physical or emotional safety or concerned about potential discrimination and hate. Because we do not have the option of choosing to either support First Amendment rights or create a school environment free from discrimination, my encouragement is that we embrace the sometimes-complex-to-achieve both/and where we support BOTH the exercise of First Amendment rights of our students AND we support creating a school environment free from discrimination. 

To achieve this, the following are our standards for student-led protests or walkouts including how schools will respond if they occur during the school day:  

• Normal Schedule – If a protest or walkout occurs on any of our campuses, schools and classes will continue on their normal schedule. 
• Prohibition of the Restriction of Free Movement – For safety of students and others, administrators will ensure the ability for students and staff to come and go from our buildings and classrooms and to be able to learn within classrooms unimpacted by where the protest or walkout occurs. 
• Enhanced Supervision – Supervision is increased during student-led protests or walkouts, with school and district leaders providing supervision for those who choose to participate in student-led walkouts to ensure safety. 
• On/Off Campus – We discourage students who choose to participate in protests or walkouts from leaving campus. If students choose to leave campus as part of this event, we will let law enforcement know what is occurring so that they can take over any form of crowd control off campus to keep students safe. 
• Closed Campus – We remain a closed campus to all who do not already have a pre-planned event or activity at our school. Non-students are not allowed to participate in or engage with students in student-led protests or walkouts. Staff members are also not allowed to participate in, encourage, or discourage student-led protests or walkouts during the school day. 
• Actions That are Prohibited – Peaceful demonstrations by our students on our campus are permissible under federal law and Bellevue School Board Policy. That said, the following actions are prohibited during a student-led walkout: 
  • Putting themselves or others in danger (e.g., banging on windows, blocking access to hallways, classrooms, entries, exits, etc.) 
  • Engaging in speech that is not protected by the First Amendment in the school setting, including: obscenity/profanity, true threats of violence, speech/conduct that causes a material and substantial disruption of the educational environment and/or impinges on the rights of others. 
  • Engaging in discriminatory speech/conduct that violates Policy 3210 (Nondiscrimination) and/or Policy 3207 (Prohibition of Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying) 
• Attendance – Students who miss instructional time to participate in walkouts will be marked unexcused.  

Need Support? Please Contact Us. 

In the event of a student protest or walkout, if your student feels unsafe or uncomfortable, we encourage them to visit the counseling center or main office, where we are always there to support them. If any student feels targeted or discriminated against because of a protest or walkout, we absolutely encourage them to come to the counseling center or main office or talk to a trusted adult and report the incident. If your child does not feel comfortable sharing this information themselves, parents are encouraged to contact the main office directly. 

Learning Together, in Beloved Community 

In closing, I confess that there are many moments where I wished that things didn’t have to be so hard – if only we could just focus on reading, writing and math, without the distractions of events happening across the globe. But then, I catch myself and ask: what is education for? We are preparing our kids for careers and the ability to provide for themselves and their families. We are preparing kids for greater opportunities than generations before them could ever have dreamed of. And, here in the Bellevue School District, we are preparing our students to be good people. To care for one another. To care about unity in diversity. To care about the unhoused. To care about justice. To care about the planet.  

The best place for students to learn all of this is TOGETHER – in a beloved community, in our diverse school buildings – as they navigate the real and, yes, oftentimes very hard issues that they and their global families are facing. For that, we as educators and families must persevere and keep up the good work. I am proud of our district and all that we are accomplishing on behalf of our students. And I am committed to continuing to lead alongside our students, staff, and families to build a Beloved Community here in the Bellevue School District. 

For Our Future World, 

Dr. Aramaki