Inspired by Southern’s new DEI Priorities and Recommendations 2021-2025 draft document, unveiled at a campus forum on November 30, the East Lyme school district’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee is looking at developing a formal protocol to address issues of hate speech and bias in the district.
The document was brought to the school district’s attention by Esteban Garcia, who is the parent of a second grader in East Lyme and a member of the district’s committee. Associate bursar at Southern, Garcia is also a member of the university’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Council, which developed the document.
At the November 30 forum, the four co-chairs of the DEI Advisory Council — DEI Vice President Diane Ariza, Student Affairs Vice President Tracy Tyree, Associate Professor of Social Work Steven Hoffler, and English Professor Brandon Hutchinson — presented the draft document to the university community and requested feedback by December 29, 2021. The video of the forum can be viewed here. The full document, executive summary, and feedback survey can be accessed on the DEI website.
Read the article about the East Lyme school district in the CT Examiner (by Emilia Otte, December 2, 2021): East Lyme Schools to Consider Southern Connecticut State Model For Bias
