The Adams County school district that is at the center of a social media outcry about racism students and alumni say they have experienced there is now working with the state to craft a plan to address the situation.
The Upper Adams School District announced today it is working with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission to develop a comprehensive plan to address past and present allegations of discrimination at the Biglerville High School.
Several social media pages titled Racism at Biglerville High School went live last week, collecting the accounts of students and former students, detailing many incidents of racism and bigotry they say they experienced while attending the rural school in the heart of Pennsylvania’s fruit belt.
Upper Adams Superintendent Wesley Doll said during an interview over Zoom with PennLive on Wednesday that the district did not condone any of the behaviors described on those social media pages.
“When you start to see some of the items and messages that are posted, it’s very disheartening,” Doll said. “We’re dedicated to creating a welcoming environment for all of our student’s that’s free of racism, discrimination or bullying.”
But the students who posted their experiences – and are continuing to do so – say they feel anything but welcomed.
The school hopes to change that by joining forces with the commission.
“This community finds itself faced with an opportunity to step out of the shadows of hate,” Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission executive director Chad Dion Lassiter said in a press release today. “We have met with Superintendent Doll and appreciate his willingness to partner with PHRC to immediately put a plan in place to address these issues head-on and start the healing process. We encourage the students, faculty and community members to approach this difficult reality through a new lens, to try to see the humanity in your neighbors, and seek commonalities rather than differences. We are encouraged by our initial conversations with the Upper Adams School District and Biglerville High School administrators and look forward to working with members of this community on all levels.”
The commission will provide “unconscious bias training” for the faculty, staff and students at no cost. It will also provide recommendations and a diverse panel of experts to work with the district in regularly scheduled sessions over the next few years with the goal of effecting meaningful change.
The commission is also advising further work between the school and the Adams County PHRC Advisory Council to open a conversation and conduct training in the community.
In a statement, Doll said the district is fully committed to listening to students and the community to address confirmed cases of racist behavior, bigotry and bullying and is dedicated to working with the commission to develop a plan.
On Friday, the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania released a statement saying the organization supports the students and alumni who created the social media pages.
“They have done the community a great service by exposing the ugly underbelly of racism that they say has existed at their school for years,” ACLU of Pennsylvania executive director Reggie Shuford said in the statement. “This is how healing happens. We will continue supporting the students and their allies and look forward to hearing more about how the district plans to move forward to create an inclusive and equitable environment at Biglerville High School.”
The ACLU said the allegations of racism are serious, all students have a right to a free and equal education, and it is the school district’s responsibility to address these allegations.
“According to students and graduates, the school has failed to do that for many years,” Shuford said. “We also want to reiterate that the school needs to be mindful that it cannot punish students for speech that criticizes the school and cannot use its authority to unmask the people behind the social media sites.”