Use Of Hate Speech, Racial Slurs Surges In Loudoun County Schools

Ashburn VA

26 May, 2022

4:10 PM

Description

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — School officials in Loudoun County are seeing a dramatic increase in the use of racial slurs and hate speech by students in 2022, with the largest number of incidents occurring in the county's middle schools, according to new data released by the public school system. The number of reported cases of hate speech and racial slurs began to surge in February, Loudoun County Public Schools Deputy Superintendent Ashley Ellis said Tuesday in a presentation at a meeting of the Loudoun County School Board. Ellis's presentation included a graph that showed the number of reported incidents increasing from only 5 in January to 19 in February and 49 in March. "This is very unsettling data to see, particularly in this graphic form," Ellis said. The number of cases of hate speech and racial slurs reported to LCPS's Office of Equity totaled 38 in April. Through May 18, school officials had reported 23 cases of hate speech and racial slurs to the Office of Equity for the month. The hate speech and racial slur data was tabulated at the request of Loudoun County School Board member Andrew Hoyler (Broad Run), who had heard about an increase in schools but wanted to see it quantified. (Loudoun County Public Schools) LCPS Director of Equity Lottie Spurlock, who joined Ellis to present the data to the school board on Tuesday, said principals had been increasingly reaching out to her office about students who were using racial slurs and drawing swastikas. Spurlock said schools need to discipline the students using hate speech but also provide support to them. They also need to have more direct conversations with families about the incidents instead of relying solely on emails for communications, she said. In response to a question from Tom Marshall, who represents Leesburg on the school board, Spurlock said the hate speech and racial slurs are happening at schools across the county, with school demographics and location making little difference. Spurlock's office has been working with principals, assistant principals and equity leads at each school in the county to provide guidance on how to deal with the surge in incidents, she said. In March, 20 incidents in the county's middle schools were reported, compared to 11 in elementary schools and nine in high schools. In April, the number of incidents remained the highest in middle schools, with high schools reporting 15 cases and elementary schools seven cases. According to school district policies presented at Tuesday's school board meeting, principals are expected to take the following actions in response to these types of incidents: Denounce the use of racial slurs, insensitive language, hate speech, and hateful expressions/actions.Take necessary action to investigate each instance until a healthy resolution occurs, recognizing that appropriate follow-up will take time to meet with students and meet their needs.Addressing incidents in accordance with Loudoun County School Board policies and the guidelines laid out in the Student Rights and Responsibilities. LCPS's Office of Equity is currently working with school officials to identify specific schools with increased incidents and meet with their administrators to provide coaching and consultation for addressing racial incidents. The Office of Equity plans to provide resources to administrators, counselors and teachers to help them respond to hate and bias in schools. The office will also provide guidance to students to help them deal with the incidents. Parents also will be encouraged to reinforce LCPS efforts to stem hate speech by speaking with their children about the damage done by racially insensitive language, according to the Office of Equity.