PRESS ADVISORY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AUGUST 5, 2014
Contact: CT Parnt! Un"on
T#: 20$%44$%$20$
E&a"#: "n'o(ct)arnt!*n"on+or,
PRESS CONFERENCE
CONCERNED PARENTS HEAD TO NORWALK WITH A PETITION TO REQUEST
RESIGNATION OF ELECTED NORWALK BOARD OF EDUCATION CHAIR AND A
MEMBER FOR RACIAL AND CULTURALLY INSENSITIVE PUBLIC REMARKS
Until justice is blind to color, until education is unaware of race, until opportunity is
unconcerned with the color of men's skins, emancipation will be a proclamation but not a
fact. Lyndon B. Johnson
WHEN: Tuesday August 5, 2014; 7:15 p.m. (Before Norwal Board of !du"at#o$
%eet#$g&
WHERE: 125 !ast A'e$ue Norwal (T 0)*52 (fro$t of (#ty +all&
WHY: ,$ -u$e of 2014, t.ree wome$ of "olor ( 2 Bla" a$d 1 +#spa$#"& /led a
"ompla#$t w#t. t.e Norwal NAA(0 alleg#$g, t.ey as m#$or#ty wome$ mem1ers of
t.e Norwal Board of !du"at#o$, .a'e re"e#'ed 2"o$t#$ual #$t#m#dat#o$, .arassme$t,
d#srespe"t, e3"lus#o$, d#s"r#m#$at#o$, la" of tra$spare$"y a$d d#sparate treatme$t2
from Norwal Board (.a#rma$. ,$ respo$se to t.e#r "ompla#$t a .eadl#$e4"omme$t
stated 1y a Norwal Board of !du"at#o$ mem1er appeared #$ t.e Norwal 5$l#$e
$ewspaper 6T.e +our7 e$t#tled (.#aramo$te: %os1y 8#s t.e g#rl w.o "r#ed 1la"8
.ttp:44www.t.e.our."om4$ews4$orwal4".#aramo$te9mos1y9#s9t.e9g#rl9w.o9"r#ed9
1la"4art#"le:1;44e*179aad1954)*9*0)d914dd7e4fd0ea..tml<
mode=#mage>p.oto=0

T.ese ra"#al a$d "ultural #$se$s#t#'e "omme$ts a$d 1e.a'#ors from !?!(T!@
Norwal Board of !du"at#o$ mem1ers are u$a""epta1le, #rrespo$s#1le a$d re"less
1e"ause t.ese 1oard mem1ers are e$trusted to t.e eAual edu"at#o$ of all Norwal
".#ldre$ regardless of ra"e, rel#g#o$ or #$"ome le'el. 5$e .as to wo$der .ow t.ey
treat a$d mae de"#s#o$s #$ regards to t.e#r Bla" a$d +#spa$#" stude$t populat#o$
a$d t.e#r pare$ts.
WHAT: As a result of t.ese ra"#al a$d "ulturally #rrespo$s#1le remars a$d
1e.a'#ors, t.e (o$$e"t#"ut 0are$ts B$#o$ leaders.#p #$ "olla1orat#o$ w#t. some
Norwal pare$ts, stude$ts a$d "ommu$#ty are "#r"ulat#$g a pet#t#o$ reAuest#$g t.e
#mmed#ate res#g$at#o$ of t.e Norwal Board of !du"at#o$ ".a#r a$d t.e mem1er
t.at stated 6C t.e g#rl t.at "r#ed Bla"7
At.e$a Dag$er, a$ edu"at#o$ ad'o"ate from Dater1ury (o$$e"t#"ut states 6,f a
1oard mem1er #s allowed to d#sm#ss ra"#al #mpropr#et#es amo$gst t.e#r ow$ peers,
t.ere #s $o ".a$"e for fa#r$ess a$d eAu#ty for t.e ".#ldre$ pare$ts a$d "ommu$#ty
t.at t.#s leaders.#p was ele"ted or appo#$ted to ser'e. +owe'er, , appre"#ate t.#s
leaders.#p e3pos#$g t.e#r true ra"#st feel#$gs a1out 6"ry#$g 1la"79w.at does t.at
mea$<7 T.at mea$s #t #s t#me for $ew leaders.#p.7
Eurt.ermore, pare$ts a"ross (o$$e"t#"ut are reAuest#$g t.e Ftate @epartme$t of
!du"at#o$, t.e Bla" a$d 0uerto G#"a$ leg#slat#'e (au"us, (omm#ss#o$ o$
+uma$ G#g.ts a$d 5pportu$#t#es((+G5&, t.e Afr#"a$ Amer#"a$ AHa#rs
(omm#ss#o$, t.e Latino an P!"#to Ri$an A%ai#& Co''i&&ion a$d
Io'er$or %alloyJs oK"e loo #$to t.#s matter to !NFBG! t.at t.e Norwal
Board of !du"at#o$ are N5T #mpleme$t#$g edu"at#o$al pol#"#es a$d
pro"edures t.at de$y Norwal a$y stude$t, espe"#ally #ds of "olor a$d
spe"#al $eeds, eAu#ta1le a""ess to edu"at#o$al resour"es a$d supports
1e"ause of t.e#r ra"e or #$"ome status.
,$ "los#$g, t.e lo"al a$d LstateM 1oard of edu"at#o$ #s a "r#t#"al pu1l#" l#$ to pu1l#"
s".ools a$d t.e "ommu$#ty, as a w.ole. D.et.er ele"ted or appo#$ted,
Lregardless of party aKl#at#o$M, s".ool 1oard mem1ers ser'e t.e#r
"ommu$#t#es #$ se'eral #mporta$t ways.
E#rst a$d foremost s".ool 1oards loo out for stude$ts. !du"at#o$ #s $ot a
l#$e #tem o$ t.e s".ool 1oardJs age$daN#t #s t.e o$ly #tem.
D.e$ ma#$g de"#s#o$s a1out s".ool programs, s".ool 1oards #$"orporate
t.e#r "ommu$#tyJs '#ew of w.at stude$ts s.ould $ow a$d 1e a1le to do.
F".ool 1oards are a""ess#1le to t.e pu1l#" a$d a""ou$ta1le for t.e
performa$"e of t.e#r s".ools.
F".ool 1oards are t.e edu"at#o$ wat".dog for t.e#r "ommu$#t#es, e$sur#$g
t.at stude$ts get t.e 1est edu"at#o$ for t.e ta3 dollars spe$t.(
.ttp:44www."e$terforpu1l#"edu"at#o$.org&
As a result of t.#s "ru"#al role a$d respo$s#1#l#ty of s".ool 1oards t.ere #s
a1solutely $o room for ra"#al, so"#o9e"o$om#", ge$der a$d d#sa1#l#ty d#s"r#m#$at#o$
or a$y form of 1ully#$g or #$t#m#dat#o$. T.#s also appl#es for t.ose ru$$#$g for
pu1l#" oK"e; you .a'e a respo$s#1#l#ty to meet t.e $eeds of your e$t#re
"o$st#tue$"y, $ot a sele"t few.