The principal of Earle B. Wood Middle School in Rockville, Montgomery County, sent a letter to parents on February 10th, disclosing a disturbing incident that occurred on school grounds. According to Heidi L. Statcoff, a teacher discovered a proposal to establish a “Homophobic Club Hub” on a student’s laptop. The student in question had shared the document with at least two other students before deleting it. Although there is no evidence that a club was actually formed, this incident is being treated as a hate/bias incident.
In her letter, Statcoff made it clear that “discrimination in any form cannot be tolerated.” While the school system’s privacy policy prevented the disclosure of any disciplinary action that would be taken against the student or students involved, she did emphasize that “students who commit this unacceptable act will receive consequences as per Montgomery County Public Schools Student Code of Conduct.”
The school will also conduct lessons on bias and discrimination in the coming week, with counselors going into classrooms to educate students on the topic. The administrators and counselors will be reiterating the school’s expectations concerning bullying and harassment.
The Montgomery County School system, through its spokesperson, Jessica Baxter, released a statement condemning this incident, reiterating their commitment to cultivating an inclusive learning environment that celebrates diversity, including the LGBTQ community. The statement concludes that “this hurtful behavior, along with any acts of discrimination, have no place in our school system and will not be tolerated.”
