Community Letter to BUSD Board of Education

We are scared! Please be a leader and say no to antisemitism in our schools. There is no room for ignorance and hatred.

I support this petition. Jewish students and all students must be safe and supported at BUSD

You are morally and legally liable to keep your students safe and to create a safe environment. You must condemn antisemitism and Islamophobia. Be brave and do your job,

As a grandmother I want my kids protected.

To BUSD: If you can't do your job and protect the students entrusted to your care, then resign and make way for others to do it. This is NOT acceptable.

It is unimaginable that a school system that purports to be tolerant and care for all of its students has to even have to receive this letter. How is it possible that we pay hundreds in property taxes to a school system that won't protect our children from something as horrifying as psychological and physical antisemitism.

This is a teaching moment and apparently some of your teachers also need further education... Leadership: WHERE ARE YOU?

Parent of Class of 2017, 2022, and current Senior. My child has experienced anti Israel propaganda in her classes. The administration while sympathetic when I called has not provided any follow up.

Antisemitism and anti-Islamic rhetoric is not acceptable. Every single student must feel safe at school.

Berkeley High School graduate. Class of 2022

BHS class of 2017

Please protect our children.

All students should feel--and be--safe. This petition specifically does not ask BUSD to take sides, only to provide a safe and secure environment for students of all faiths and heritages.

All students need to feel safe - and I stand in solidarity with our Jewish community and all who feel threatened. Please let this war open up doors for a peaceful and nuanced discussion moderated by insigithful teacher rather than use it as an excuse to create more rifts. In solidarity Aditi

I am a parent of two BHS grads and the grandparent of a child in a BUSD school. When my children were at BHS in the 90's we had similar issues with anti semitic teachers. We should not have to keep fighting for a safe place in Berkeley public schools and an education system that recognizes anti semitism and works to end it.

I strongly agree anti semitism should not be tolerated at BUSD. I also hope children with connections to Palestine or the war who must also be facing trauma are protected from hate speech and recognized too.

I agree with this petition. It should not be the place of the school district to weigh in on geopolitics. But it should be the district's place to ensure that all students feel safe while at school.

Allow our children (your students) to feel safe. Berkeley High in particular has teachers that are advocating anti-zionist positions that (more than ) border on anti-semitic rhetoric

I sent two emails expressing my concerns for my child's safety at Berkeley High and neither received any response. I can not imagine a simpler iteration of your roles as school administrators than responding to parents who are concerned for their children's safety at school. A simple message to the community that hate speech and threats of any kind will not be tolerated seems like table stakes, and yet thus far you have done nothing. So very, very disappointing.

This tragic war should provide an opportunity to exemplify Berkeley High's commitment to diversity and tolerance.