Sacramento, CA – The District is aware of racist material distributed at Kit Carson International Academy today and wants all of our families to know this matter is being handled with the utmost seriousness. Sac City Unified strongly condemns the use of racist language or material and has taken swift disciplinary action against the two students involved. The district is also providing support for students and staff who may have experienced trauma or harm as a result.

“Racism, including the use of harmful language and stereotypes have no place in our schools,” said SCUSD Superintendent Jorge A. Aguilar. “It threatens the safety and well-being of students and staff and will not be tolerated.”

“The racist messages circulated among students at Kit Carson are profoundly upsetting,” said SCUSD Board President Chinua Rhodes. “There is no place for racist language or imagery at our schools, and the SCUSD Board condemns these messages in the strongest possible terms. Our schools should be centers where everyone feels valued so each student can learn, grow, and reach their greatness.”

“I am deeply disappointed by today’s incident at Kit Carson International Academy,” said SCUSD Board Member Jasjit Singh. “There is zero tolerance for hate and racism at Sacramento City Unified. My support is with all those affected, and my gratitude is with the staff who worked quickly to take action. I ask that disciplinary action includes restorative justice practices, and we work with the students involved, so as to help them understand why their actions have no place in our district or in our community.”

Sacramento City Unified takes a zero tolerance approach to acts of racism and has partnered for more than a year with attorney Mark T. Harris, the District’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion monitor, to address such incidents. Harris investigates incidents through a lens of objectivity and identifies areas for improvement district-wide.

“The incident today underscores the need to fully educate our students and families about the shameful history of the N-word,” Harris said. “Clearly, the students have misguided ideas around the use of the word and the District must do more to reach them. We need to send a stronger message that the use of this word – by anyone – must stop.”

In the coming days, the District Climate and Culture staff will look for additional opportunities to partner with Kit Carson and other schools to turn this horrible incident into a learning opportunity for students. In the meantime, we urge families to talk with their students to help them understand that any use of the N-word or other racist language is unacceptable regardless of context and will carry consequences.

# # #