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Public commenters urge district to confront local Klan history, offer anti-racism resources and press for stronger school safety responses
Summary
During public comment, speakers presented local Klan history materials, shared a de-escalation/bystander zine, and raised safety concerns after a reported student-on-student incident; the board acknowledged receipt and said personnel issues must be handled through appropriate administrative channels.
Three members of the public addressed the board during the public-comment period on Dec. 16 with related concerns about local racial history, anti-racism education, and school safety.
Vicky Lambert identified herself and told the board she was presenting a resource titled The Ku Klux Klan in Minnesota and read historical excerpts describing Klan activity in Red Wing and Goodhue County in the 1920s.
Betsy Joy, a Red Wing High School graduate, said she brought a bystander-intervention and de-escalation zine created by an abolitionist youth organization in New York City and suggested it as a resource the district might consider for addressing harassment and the school-to-prison pipeline. “It gets at the 5 D’s of bystander intervention,” Joy said and asked the board to consider the material for student supports.
Amber Plank spoke about a recent safety incident involving her child at Burnside School. Plank said she received a panic call and that her Facebook Live recording of the incident was removed; she said she had not yet received a promised police report and questioned why police were not called immediately when her child reported an attack with scissors. Plank also cited national data about school shootings and local concerns about how the district responded. She asked for a written or public response to prior questions she has submitted to the board.
Board members responded during the meeting by reiterating public-comment procedures and by stating that concerns involving individual students, staff or administrators must be handled through building-level personnel processes or the superintendent’s office rather than during an open board meeting. No formal board action was taken on the public comments during the meeting.
