Residents demand more action over racial Marin high school video

Some Marin residents are calling for stronger action by the Tamalpais Union High School District to address a video with a racial slur that was made and shared by Tamalpais High School students.

More than a dozen speakers who attended the district board meeting Tuesday said not enough has been done to repair damage and rebuild trust after the incident. The commenters at the board of trustees meeting on Tuesday included parents, students, teachers and community leaders.

“Students are being hurt, families are being hurt,” parent Hilary Heaven told trustees. “We don’t feel safe.”

Teacher Grace Backer said she asked her students to put their heads down on their desks and then hold their fingers up to signify how much they still felt fearful and anxious about the incident, on a scale of 1 to 5.

“All the White students held up 1 finger, meaning they were just going on with their day-to-day lives and not thinking about it,” Backer said. “All the students of color posted a 5.”

Johnathan Logan, pastor of Cornerstone Community Church in Marin City, told trustees there are “lingering questions that need to be clarified” about the incident.

“What actions did the principal take to make clear that Tam is a safe place for students of color, despite the antagonist atmosphere the video created?” Logan said. “How was this incident used to educate the student body on the negative effects of harmful speech?”

Tara Taupier, the district superintendent, said the district and the high school have taken several steps and the work is continuing. She said Kimberly Clissold, the school’s principal, addressed students on Oct. 13 and offered an apology. Clissold also met with the school’s Black Student Union members and community partners.

“We are offering ‘affinity spaces’ where Black students can meet to discuss their feelings and get support,” Taupier said. “In addition, a ‘stop and learn’ event was held Thursday for all Tam High students.”

Students at the “stop and learn” event participated in a lesson on “racist and dehumanizing language.” The “affinity spaces” allowed Black students an opportunity to process emotions with help from adult facilitators, Taupier said.

“This lesson will also be delivered to all our school sites,” Taupier said. The district’s high schools include Tamalpais, Archie Williams, Redwood, Tamiscal and San Andreas.

Taupier added that Tam High is planning a parent and caregiver meeting for November. In addition, “the district has drafted an expectations sheet regarding using the N-word on our campuses,” Taupier said.

Taupier declined to confirm whether the people responsible for the video had been disciplined. Several speakers at the board meeting said they believed a one-day suspension had been imposed, which they said was not enough.

Taupier said student discipline information is confidential and cannot legally be disclosed.

Logan and Ida Times-Green, members of the Marin City Coalition, presented trustees with a letter signed by community leaders that called for a range of actions to change the culture at the high school.

In addition to a public apology, the letter recommended several policy changes to promote more transparency and stricter documentation of racial incidents. They called for a “zero tolerance policy” for such incidents and faculty training to prevent them.

The group also recommended efforts to foster community relationships building and reduce stigmas or biases involving Marin City. Those could include historical perspectives about “contributions of Black Americans to our country’s history,” the letter said.

“Tensions among Black students have been further heightened because they feel that there is a permissive attitude on campus that allows the use of racial slurs and epithets to be commonplace without consequence to the perpetrators,” the letter said.

“Given the context of the historical harms of racism and the frequency of these types of incidents in the district over the past few years, we believe there is a need for the community to be engaged in efforts to create a safe and supportive environment for all students at Tam High,” it said.

Auvin Cole, co-president of the Black Student Union, gave trustees a list of similar recommendations. Students need expanded counseling and “a revised policy with clearly defined consequences for hate motivated behavior,” the letter said.

Karen Loebbaka, president of the board of trustees, addressed the speakers at the meeting and online.

“We do hear you. Your words are not falling on deaf ears,” Loebbaka said. “I promise you that we do not tolerate this. I’m sorry this has happened.”

The comments at the board meeting followed a walkout and protest on Oct. 11 by dozens of students on the streets of Mill Valley. In addition, commenters said there have been several fights on campus, including one in which a Black staff member who tried to intervene was injured.

“When this type of incident occurs, the pain students are feeling is real,” Marin City Coalition member Paul Austin, director of the recreational nonprofit Play Marin, told trustees.

“This is an opportunity for the district to set up a stricter policy against racist actions,” Austin said. “Everyone needs to feel safe, and that’s not happening.”