Davis School District announces partnership to combat racism, discrimination
Harrison Epstein, Special to the Standard-Examiner
Superintendent Reid Newey takes notes during the Davis School Board meeting at the district office in Farmington on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022.
Leaders from around Davis County, and the state of Utah, gathered at the Davis School District building Tuesday to announce the formation of a partnership to combat racism and discrimination.
The three partners in attendance for the meeting were Hill Air Force Base Commander Col. Jenise M. Carrol, Utah First Lady Abby Cox and County Commissioner Bob Stevenson. Each member was selected for their unique influence and experiences.
Each came to the podium to discuss their goals for the future with the members of the board and the assembled crowd.
Stevenson discussed a variety of issues, extending from racism into broader conversations around diversity and the growth of Davis County. At one point, Stevenson invited Carrol to the podium with him, grasped her hand and raised it with his, saying, “What we see here is not an African-American hand or a white hand. We see two hands; that’s what we see is two hands.”
Carrol is one of two Black women involved with the partnership who spoke Tuesday, in addition to Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jackie Thompson.
Harrison Epstein, Special to the Standard-Examiner
Victoria Hansen holds a "Stop" sign, signaling that time is up for public comment, during the Davis School Board meeting at the district office in Farmington on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022.
Carrol, who was first assigned to Hill Air Force Base in 2020, is a relative newcomer to Utah and Davis County. She took her time to speak about the opportunities and influence Hill can have on schools and the community. Hill Air Force Base is the only employer in Davis County larger than the school district.
After the board meeting, she said, “There are members of the installation that have actually come forth and said they were treated differently. I have not been treated differently myself but individuals from the installation have and that’s where the partnership will definitely come into play.”
Cox also spoke to the board about her roots in Davis County, where her grandparents grew up and her parents were raised. Growing up herself in Sanpete County, she said she understood the issues with racism and has seen in schools what she now identifies as acts of racism.
“Was I always aware that it was racism? I don’t think so. I think I’ve learned, I think I’ve grown and I’ve seen things from other people’s perspectives and I’ve realized that the things I was seeing and experiencing other people doing — I realize that that is hurtful,” Cox said. “I’ve tried to teach my children to listen to somebody’s experience so that they are more aware of what somebody else is going through.”
Thompson briefly stepped to the podium to inform the school board that the Department of Justice has approved the equity consultant selected to aid the district, and that their identity will be released after final approvals are done. Outside of the meeting, the members of the partnership answered questions. Joining Thompson in representing the school district was Assistant Superintendent John Zurbuchen
Harrison Epstein, Special to the Standard-Examiner
Parents, educators and members of the wider community attend the Davis School Board meeting at the district office in Farmington on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022.
“It’s not about whether or not this is a racist community. The question for us is, ‘Can you make this a healthier community?’ That’s the question for us — can we make this a more inclusive and healthy community,” Zurbuchen said. “Can we end racism? Seriously? Do we have the hubris, did any of us say that? None of us do. But can we make for a healthier community because of our efforts and our work? Certainly.”
The process itself will be long and difficult, but those involved with Tuesday’s meeting are optimistic for the future.
The partnership comes in the aftermath of the Department of Justice’s report finding “serious and widespread racial harassment” within the Davis School District. Just weeks after the report was the suicide of 10-year-old Izzy Tichenor, a DSD student whose family alleged she was the victim of racist bullying at Foxboro Elementary.
The meeting itself kicked off with 30 minutes of public comment in which parents, educators and members of the community shared their views on racial equity and the conversations that were to come.
Presiding over the meeting was Board President John Robison, flanked directly on either side by Vice President Marie Stevenson and Superintendent Reid Newey, with the other members of the board forming a long row in front of the gathered crowd.
Harrison Epstein, Special to the Standard-Examiner
Utah First Lady Abby Cox speaks at the Davis School Board meeting at the district office in Farmington on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022.
Attendees were far from uniform in their experiences with race and with the district’s objectives. Speakers alternated between statements in support of, and against, the board’s actions regarding race.
One parent levied accusations of corruption against the Department of Justice and said they did not need to meddle in Davis County. “I just think parents have had enough of the woke-ism, it’s nauseating,” he said.
Betty Sawyer, head of the Ogden NAACP, thanked the board for their acknowledgment of racial issues in the schools. “We encourage you to work with fidelity and integrity to move these initiatives forward for the betterment of our kids. What affects one affects all,” she said.
Other parents and educators also told stories of racism, whether things they’ve seen or consoled their children about.
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- Superintendent Reid Newey takes notes during the Davis School Board meeting at the district office in Farmington on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022.
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- Victoria Hansen holds a “Stop” sign, signaling that time is up for public comment, during the Davis School Board meeting at the district office in Farmington on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022.
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- Parents, educators and members of the wider community attend the Davis School Board meeting at the district office in Farmington on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022.
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- Utah First Lady Abby Cox speaks at the Davis School Board meeting at the district office in Farmington on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022.
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- Davis School Board President John Robison answers a question during the board meeting at the district office in Farmington on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022.
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- Davis County Commissioner Bob Stevenson addresses the Davis School Board at the meeting in the district office in Farmington on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022.
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- Bob Stevenson, center, speaks to members of the media after the Davis School Board meeting at the district office in Farmington on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022. Assistant Superintendent John Zurbuchen sits on his left and Assistant Superintendent Jackie Thompson sits on the right.
Davis School Board President John Robison answers a question during the board meeting at the district office in Farmington on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022.
Davis County Commissioner Bob Stevenson addresses the Davis School Board at the meeting in the district office in Farmington on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022.
Bob Stevenson, center, speaks to members of the media after the Davis School Board meeting at the district office in Farmington on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022. Assistant Superintendent John Zurbuchen sits on his left and Assistant Superintendent Jackie Thompson sits on the right.