8/14/2020

Enumclaw, Washington… a beautiful town filled with racism and hate. Don’t agree with us? This is what
people around the country are seeing as a horrific, disgusting video replicating George Floyd’s murder is
going viral.
As students of the Enumclaw School District, we are saying loudly and clearly that we are unequivocally
denouncing not only the hate that was in the first video but also the continued hate, threats and retaliation
that followed, attacking the students that were brave enough to stand up and call them out on their act.
There are far too many ESD students that believe these types of acts are okay, and should even be
celebrated. This must change.
Not only are we demanding that these students publicly apologize for their behavior and the pain it has
caused for members of our community, but we also demand action from our community leaders.
School Board and School Administration: We ask that you finally address the acts of hate and racism that
are perpetuated by your students, staff, and coaches on a regular basis. That the student handbook is
updated with specific consequences laid out for acts of racism, homophobia, sexual assault, and
retaliation. That the consequences include in-person, social media, and on/off-campus activities. We need
to hold our students accountable for the choices they make. Consequences should include loss of extra-
curricular activities, clubs, athletics, events, etc. We also request that all students be treated equally with
discipline. We will no longer accept that the wealthy and longtime Enumclaw “power-families” can
continue to subject students to racist comments and inappropriate acts, and have the response be to turn a
blind eye or say “boys will be boys”.
The continued acceptance of overt and covert racism as well as microaggressions by staff, administration,
and coaches must stop immediately. Anyone that continues to cause pain to our BIPOC students must be
immediately reprimanded. Again, we ask that these consequences be consistently applied to all staff as
well.
We ask that as teachers, staff, admin and school board members, that you finally see and hear us. We are
not invisible. We ask that you come out of your offices. That you walk the hallways. That you take time
to see and listen. It is then that you will begin to understand the hate, anger, and fear that is a constant
around us. This is not the culture we want in our schools. This is what we want your help to change.
City Council: You set the example for our community. People look to you for leadership and guidance.
We need to see you standing up and loudly saying that our community is not going to tolerate injustice or
pain. That we want to be the opposite. We want to be a community that is accepting and open to all
cultures and the diversity that is growing here. We are looking to you to show leadership and show this
community how to do that. We can acknowledge and move forward from our racist past, redefine who we
are, and determine what we will embrace going forward.
As student leaders, we are committed to advocating, standing up for, and supporting our BIPOC students
and families at all times from our place of privilege. We are asking that our community will do the same.
It is up to us on how we want to be defined, how we want to move forward as a community. We are
looking to each adult to make the same commitment. To stand up when you see something wrong, to call
out acts of hate and racism, to decide that we will no longer turn a blind eye to racist acts, videos,
retaliation or threats like we have in the past.
We will not be a community defined by hate.

Student Executive Council, BIPOC Students, Student Leaders