Board president rejects racism, cites board policy adopted June 24, 2025

Dr. Watson, Board President of the Desert Sands Unified School District Board of Education, told the board on Aug. 12 that she “reject[s] racism in all forms” and reaffirmed the district’s commitment to enforcing a policy the board adopted June 24. “I reject racism in all forms and color. I do not support, excuse, or tolerate racist behavior of any kind,” she said. The board president said Board Policy 5145.9, adopted unanimously on June 24, 2025, defines “hate motivated behavior” and sets expectations for addressing discrimination, harassment, intimidation and bullying. “This policy defines hate motivated behavior as any act, verbal, physical, or symbolic, intended to cause emotional suffering, physical harm, or property damage, motivated in part or in whole by bias,” she said. “These behaviors have no place in our schools from anyone, and they will not be tolerated.” Watson described district steps already underway, including social-emotional learning, cultural-awareness training, implicit-bias training and conflict-resolution strategies for staff, and said staff are trained “to uphold inclusive practices, recognize signs of discrimination, and respond to issues swiftly and appropriately.” She also said the district engaged multiple parent advisory groups while drafting the policy and that the final policy reflected community input. A second speaker on the topic urged continued outreach and practical work at school sites, praising the policy and urging the community to help create welcoming environments: “...help us build watering holes,” the speaker said, describing the value of community-building alongside enforcement. The board president framed the policy as binding district governance: “This is the law of how we govern our district,” she said, and asked the community to hold leaders accountable to the policy and procedures the district has put in place. No vote or new policy change occurred at the meeting; the remarks were a public statement and explanation of the board’s prior action and the district’s ongoing implementation steps. The board’s comments followed public concern raised at recent meetings and on social media about hate speech affecting African American students; trustees and district staff said they take those concerns seriously and described a mix of training, discipline when warranted, and community-building efforts as their response.