Anti-Racism Task Force Called on Mayor To Support Board of Education

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The Mayors Anti-Racism Task Force recommended on October 26 that Mayor Ben Florsheim provide his support to the Board of Education in its investigation of the Schools Central Office Senior Management. It strongly urged the mayor to help ensure that any firm hired to do this investigation have transparent and legitimate experience in anti-racism work. 

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The Task Force pointed to multiple examples of racialized incidents in our community that make this imperative. These include the targeting of black women leaders (and no others) by name calling and a smear campaign aimed at their employment and families, the use of videos of black and brown children in crisis situations for political campaigns. 

It also pointed out that while Common Council members called for the black superintendent to be placed on leave, they made no mention of the white administrators also named in the complaints. These white Central Office administrators remain in their leadership roles. 

The Task Force also called for the City to host a town hall at the conclusion of the investigation, as part of a healing process, no matter what the outcome should be.