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Heated public comment on DEI statement leads board to schedule action and workshop
Summary
Public speakers offered sharply divided views on the district’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion statement. Some parents and the teachers association urged keeping the statement; other residents and trustees called for removal or revision. The board agreed to bring the statement back for action in August and to schedule a workshop on mission/vision/core values.
A lengthy public comment period centered on the district’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) statement, with dozens of community members and trustees debating whether to retain, revise, or remove the statement. Speakers offering differing perspectives included union leaders, parents of students with disabilities, and residents who said the statement should be removed.
Sarah Liebert, president of the Auburn Union Teachers Association, urged the board to retain DEI language and warned removal would undermine protections and supports: "Maintaining DEI policies aligned with the broader regional and state stance supporting inclusion and equality," she said in her prepared remarks. Parent Amber Robinson told the board she supports keeping the statement because it underpins inclusion and student access: "I'm here tonight to ask you to not eliminate the diversity, equity, and inclusion policy from this statement."
Other speakers urged removal or revision, saying the statement is politically charged or poorly written. One commenter said removing it would not change existing legal obligations but would change the signal the district sends to families. After extensive discussion the board agreed to bring the statement back as an action item in August for possible removal and to schedule a separate workshop in August or September on vision, mission, and core values to consider alternative language.
