Cindy Marten, Superintendent
San Diego Unified School District
4100 Normal Street San Diego, CA 92103-2682
[email protected] | (619) 725-5506
Dear Superintendent Marten,
The recent incident at Morse High School has highlighted the need for San Diego Unified School District to take seriously the issue of school bullying by taking immediate action to educate students, parents, teachers, administrators, and counselors on the proper reporting structure under the Safe Schools protocols to ensure a safe and healthy learning environment for all students.
In 2010, a rash of publicized teen suicides that resulted from school bullying highlighted not a new phenomenon, but an ongoing epidemic within our nation’s school systems. In response, San Diego community members came together to create a Safe Schools Task Force to proactively combat bullying within our school district. On a state level, the suicide of 13-year-old Seth Walsh in 2010, which resulted from relentless harassment from fellow students and a lack of action on the part of the school system, led to the passage of AB9, or “Seth’s Law,” which became effective in July of 2012.
Since that time, San Diego Unified has been tragically recalcitrant in its approach to the education and implementation of protocols and training that could reduce bullying in schools, give a safe and clear means of recompense for when matters are not properly handled at any point in the reporting structure, and most importantly save lives.
San Diego Pride is calling upon you and San Diego Unified to work with our local LGBT community and implement now the measures laid out by both your own Safe Schools Task Force and Seth’s Law.
Sincerely,
Stephen Whitburn
Executive Director
Fernando Lopez is the Executive Director of San Diego Pride. Lopez’s years of LGBT advocacy, nonprofit management, public education, diversity consulting, media relations, guest lectures, and organizing have made them a consistent presence ensuring the struggles of the LGBT community are ever visible.
