Editor’s Note: The superintendents of school districts serving students in Beaver County have released the following joint statement. We are publishing the statement in full as submitted to BeaverCountian.com.
Dear Beaver County Students and Families,
The recent weeks have brought yet another reminder of the need for all Americans to reassess the state of the cultural and racial issues that exist in our country. As members of the school communities of Beaver County, we strongly support the efforts of those who fervently and peacefully advocate for fairness and equal treatment for all people. We endorse reforms that keep our communities safe while respecting the rights and constitutional freedoms of all of our fellow citizens.
As superintendents of the fourteen school districts, and Directors of the Beaver Valley Intermediate Unit and the Career Technology Center, we denounce any act of violence in our community, especially when it is perpetrated based on the color of one’s skin. We believe that the offense taken against George Floyd in Minneapolis was indefensible, horrible and inhumane. As many have said, there is no place in our society for it and no place in our collective sense of righteousness and compassion. We commit ourselves, individually and jointly, to those efforts that will eliminate racism, improve community relationships with the police, and protect our children.