AUBURN, Calif. — The Auburn Union School District voted not to rescind their statement in support of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
The meeting room was so packed people actually struggled to get a view of the Auburn school board voting whether to rescind its statement in support of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).
Sara Brichler, school board clerk, called the effort by conservative members of the board a distraction.
"I struggle because we have a lot of challenges as a district," said Brichler.
Progressive reverend, Alex Da Silva Souto, said it makes some people feel threatened.
However, Board President Greg Holt said there's no to be threatened by.
"This isn’t removing any rights. It’s not infringing on any rights," said Holt.
The text of the statement said in part, “We must remove obstacles to accessing educational opportunities. Students, staff, and stakeholders have a legitimate expectation to have a barrier-free learning environment which includes the awareness of the historical impact of bias, prejudice, and discrimination...."
It's language similar to DEI statements adopted by school districts and other organizations around the country.
"They should be removed everywhere. Ultimately, equity is about equality of outcomes, not opportunity. That’s what Vice President Kamala Harris described it as," said Holt.
Others disagree.
"We need this statement as a guiding light to inform us, and move everything that we do toward more including, more equity, more justice. Not delete it!" said Da Silva Souto.
The vote is done and the statement remains, but intense public interest shows the debate is likely far from over.
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