Petition: Stop Montgomery County Public Schools' Anti-Black, Racist Culture

Petition in support of parent and advocates who interrupted Board of Education meeting this evening.

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Montgomery County Public Schools refuses to address the concerns of Black students and Parents in their schools.  They elevate the concerns of other protected classes and ignore their role in the school-to-prison pipeline, reduced academic outcomes of, and harsher discipline Black children face in their schools.  The recent Office of Legislative Oversight report highlights MCPS's persistent School-to-Prison Pipeline.

They are so successful at being anti-Black that other minority groups have become anti-Black. 

At Herbert Hoover Middle School in Potomac, Maryland racial epithets are hurled at Black students, and Black students, especially Black boys, have been choked, kicked, assaulted, targeted by security guards, and persistently called "nigger" in class and the hallways by Asian students.  The principal, Dr. Yong Kim, her direct supervisor, Dr. Peter Moran, teachers, and administration turn a blind eye.

This racial harassment and anti-Blackness has been formally documented from 2022 to the present, and the principal has acted with deliberate indifference to pervasive assaults and harassment against black students. Principal Dr. Yong Kim has created a school culture in which anti-Blackness is accepted and she refuses to protect Black students causing physical, mental, and emotional harm.

This is not exclusive to this school but is a widespread, well-documented issue within the District.

We demand:

1. Immediate removal of Dr. Yong Kim as principal of HHMS for violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for practicing deliberate indifference to severe, pervasive and objectively offensive harassment of Black boys by Asian and non-Black students, faculty, and the administration at HHMS, which has resulted in physical harm and unequal educational opportunities as Black students are in a hostile learning environment. Dr. Kim should also be removed for prima facie negligence for her failure to provide a duty of care and a safe environment for Black students that a principal providing a level of ordinary prudence would have exercised in similar circumstances. She has allowed Black students to be choked, kicked, assaulted, and persistently be called degrading and racist names such as "nigger" and "bitch" while at HHMS. This level of harassment and assault is unacceptable and obviously results in an environment that is not conducive to learning and makes Black students not want to attend school. The hostile, anti-Black environment impacts mental and physical health, grades, and results in unequal access to education.
2. On April 11, 2024, when a Black mother informed Dr. Kim that she feared for her son’s life since her son had been choked, assaulted and kicked at HHMS by Asian students, Dr. Kim laughed. Dr. Kim and Community Engagement Officer, Amy Homrock Badge #1348, did not take the Black mom’s complaint seriously. Officer Homrock stated that "worse has happened to LGBTQ students."
3. Peter Moran was recently promoted - he must be removed from his position. He has allowed this school’s anti-Blackness to continue for many years.
4. Removal of Mike Hopkins as a guidance counselor and lead of the Minority Scholars Program and replacement with a Black-identifying guidance counselor. Mr. Hopkins is not Black-identifying and not an ally to Black students. He has questioned Black students with up to 3 adults (once including an unknown intern) against one Black student which is intimidating for minors and wreaks of the lack of due process. Mr. Hopkins has also forced Black students to apologize for actions they did not commit and often blames Black students for the assaults they suffer due to race. His negligence, along with Dr. Kim’s has led to mental anguish, anxiety, depression, and poor mental and physical health for Black students.
5. Establishing a Task Force to address ongoing issues with Black male experiences and achievement within MCPS.  The experiences and outcomes of Black males is different than any other protected class, and should not be approached with blanket equity initiatives.
6. Ensure that the PTA executive board works with county-wide Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, not against them. Ensure that there is a strong disciplinary plan for students and staff and removal from participation in school activities for parents who use or promote hate speech.
7. MCPS should provide no-cost neuropsychological testing for all Black students at HHMS (and those forced to withdraw from the school) including screening for anxiety, depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and other mental and physical impacts of trauma, assaults, and the racist and toxic environment at HHMS.
8. Removal of the Latino security guard due to negligence who provides no duty of care or safety for black boys and removal due to harassment and targeting of black boys due to race.  Removal of Mr. Rossetti, a security guard who has been negligent and failed to provide a duty of care or safety for Black boys. He also targets Black boys due to race. Previously, in 2022, another security guard at HHMS targeted Black boys and they were treated differently from non-Black students.  Mr. Darcy is also anti-Black and must be removed
9. MCPS must pay for placement in another educational environment for students who have been severely impacted by their treatment.
10. The CollegeTracks programs faces cuts in funding. This program and others like SummerRISE directly impact Black achievement; Do not remove or reduce their funding.
11. MCPS must hire an outside consultant to address issues related to anti-Blackness and their role in the school-to-prison pipeline.  They are not the experts in this and continue to implement ineffective programs.

MCPS, YOU WILL NOT CONTINUE TO IGNORE US.

https://www.change.org/p/stop-montgomery-county-public-schools-anti-black-racist-culture?recruiter=1339325095&recruited_by_id=b6e4fe50-190b-11ef-9cb0-f77b0d58baf4&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=petition_dashboard&utm_medium=copylink#decision-makers-heading