
Shrewsbury High School.
REGION – Shrewsbury Public Schools and the Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough were part of 43 local education agencies that received genocide education grants.
The grants were part of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s work to bolster schools’ efforts to respond to hate crimes and support districts in selecting and/or developing curriculum, providing professional development and creating enrichment experiences related to genocide education. A total of $338,000 in hate crime prevention grants were awarded and $1.34 million in genocide education grants.
On Sept. 19, Gov. Maura Healey and Attorney General Andrea Campbell released updated guidance to K-12 schools on how to address hate and biased-motivated incidents consistent with their legal obligations.
Specifically, the update will help school districts distinguish between protected student speech and unprotected bullying and harassment while also reminding them of their legal obligations. The guidance also calls on districts to take affirmative steps to create safe and inclusive school environments and prevent hate and bias incidents from occurring.
“It pains me to see the rise in antisemitism, anti-LGBTQ+ hate, racism, Islamophobia and hate happening across our state, our country, and the world. I’m particularly concerned about the prevalence of hate and violence in our schools. I know that our communities are hurting, and they are frightened,” said Healey. “Attorney General Campbell and I are issuing this guidance to send a clear message that hate has no place in Massachusetts – especially not in our schools. This guidance and these grants are giving our schools the tools they need to better prevent and respond to hate. Together, we can ensure that our schools are safe, welcoming, inclusive environments for all students.”