January 8, 2018

Dear Piedmont Board of Education,

We are asking for a transparent process and comprehensive plan to address the issue of sexual harassment and intimidation in our schools. An open and thorough effort by the Board is essential to assure our entire school community — students, parents, teachers, and staff — that any shortcomings are identified and needs are fully addressed.

Many community members are concerned about how recent events unfolded related to a teacher’s inappropriate behavior at Piedmont High School. Board Members and staff are being responsive and addressing individual questions and concerns. However, the reflections, learnings, or steps being taken to prevent similar events in the future are not being shared with the community.

In order to ensure accountability to various stakeholders in the community, the Board needs to make its planning process transparent. We expect a review of the following matters to be addressed in the development of a comprehensive plan:

• Review of the District’s existing sexual harassment policies and response protocols
• Training and support for administrative staff and teachers to ensure they are resourced properly
• Assessment of the needs and concerns of students
• Review of the training and decision-making process of the Board

A complete plan would also include a thorough examination of the District’s recent experience handling sexual harassment claims to identify blind spots and gaps. A comprehensive approach will ensure that any future program and policy investments will be targeted and effective.

All stakeholders in our Piedmont schools need to have confidence that the District is organized and resourced to create a positive, safe environment for our students, teachers and staff; and to respond decisively and with strength when safety from harassment and intimidation is threatened. Transparency is a crucial step in that effort.

Sincerely,

Jennifer & Jason Alderman

Shannon Rogers & Rohan Kalbag

Elizabeth Epstein

Lisa Rosenthal

Laura Mazel & Bill Reed

Esther Rogers

Deborah Banks & Randy Porter

Sarah & Mike Handelsman

Liz Behrens

Christina & Eric Hsia

Hope Salzer

Lilly & Chris Krenn

Stella Ngai

Lauren Tate

Jodi Biskup & Carlos Blanco

Julie Caskey & Gabriel Kra

Annemarie O’Brien

Susan Miller-Davis

Ruju & Sameer Srivastava

Justine Jacob

Lauren & Douglas Hartman

Jen Ferguson

Alison Reed

Soraya Rofagha & Phiroz Tarapore

Viola Sutanto

Shirley Rexrode

Mary Prisco

Melanie Marcus

Jodi Beasley

Leslie & Doug Frankel

Douglas Chin

Kelly Klopp Richmond & David Richmond

Jef Bekes

Amy Jo Goldfarb

Kendall & Michael Connors

Eliza Sorensen & Zach Sorensen-Wald

Gina Lambright

Elizabeth Shook

Wendi Bublitz

Sachin Adarkar

Kim Hunter

Amelia Wu

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