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Town social workers meet with Sudbury DEI commission; residents press for stronger gender-identity policy and affordable programming
Summary
Town social workers introduced themselves to the DEI Commission and offered to help with outreach; a resident asked the commission to urge the school subcommittee to adopt a more recent gender-identity policy. Commissioners discussed outreach, expensive extracurriculars, multicultural nights and possible DEI training.
Town social workers Kirsten and Nina joined the DEI Commission to introduce their roles and to explore ways the commission can collaborate on outreach and support for disadvantaged residents.
Kirsten and Nina described on-the-ground outreach to low-income families and renters and noted that some residents report experiences they describe as racist or exclusionary in town services and schools. Nina said the social services office connects with management at senior housing and can help spread information to residents. Commissioners discussed ways to improve reach: translated flyers, targeted contacts through school directories, and partnerships with Parks and Recreation to investigate financial aid or sponsorship for camps and after-school programs.
Public commenter Colleen Gleason Eppel urged the commission to contact members of the school committee subcommittee and recommend adopting a more recent (2021-style) gender-identity policy that offers increased protections for transgender, nonbinary and gender nonconforming students; she said she would email the commission both draft policies for review. The commission agreed to receive the drafts and place the item on a future agenda for discussion and possible action.
Members also reported recent community engagement efforts: Safa described a successful multicultural night at Nixon School with 15 countries represented and suggested one-on-one outreach and community surveys as effective methods. Commissioners suggested adding instruction on "how to respond" to incidents (courageous conversations training) as a future agenda item and discussed options for funding or sourcing training for both the commission and the broader town.
