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Chatham County Schools superintendent affirms Title VI compliance and defends DEI work
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Jackson told the board he signed a required Title VI certification and said diversity, equity and inclusion work is lawful and central to the district’s mission.
Superintendent Dr. Jackson told the Chatham County Board of Education that he has signed the U.S. Department of Education’s Title VI certification and reaffirmed the district’s commitment to nondiscrimination.
Dr. Jackson said the district “has always operated in full compliance with federal law” and that he signed the certification “affirming our legal obligation not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, or national origin.” He added that he is concerned by implications that diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) work is unlawful, saying, “DEI is not illegal.”
The superintendent framed the district’s DEI-related work as part of the district’s broader One Chatham strategic approach to student supports and belonging. “We do not just tolerate that diversity, we celebrate it,” he said, adding that the district’s efforts are “about fairness” and “ensuring that every student has a chance to thrive.”
Dr. Jackson told the board he will continue to comply with federal law while also leading ‘‘with our values’’ and said, “as long as I sit in this chair, it remains my unapologetic promise” to affirm students’ identities and support educators’ work. He thanked the board and community for their partnership.
The remarks came during the superintendent’s announcements; the board did not take a formal vote related to the statement during the meeting.
The discussion followed questions and calls the superintendent said he had received about the recent U.S. Department of Education request that districts reaffirm Title VI obligations. The board meeting also included multiple separate action items and informational reports on substitute staffing, capital outlay and safety grants.
