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Ms. Griego -Promoting Tolerance, Embracing Inclusion and Establishing School Policies to Address Hate Speech (Res-012-26/27) (For Action November 10, 2026)
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Whereas, In 1996, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed November 16th as International Tolerance Day affirming that tolerance recognizes the universal human rights and freedom of others through respect, acceptance and appreciation of the rich diversity of our world’s culture and promote a culture of peace;
Whereas, The Los Angeles Unified School District (District) is dedicated to fostering a safe, respectful and inclusive environment for students, staff, and parents, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other characteristics;
Whereas, The District values, celebrates and recognizes the diversity of our student body, staff and broader community;
Whereas, The District acknowledges the historical and ongoing harms caused by racism, white supremacy, anti-Blackness, and other forms of discrimination, and recognizes its responsibility to actively address these harms within our schools;
Whereas, The District recognizes that acts of hate can foster conflict, division, and unsafe school environments and, therefore, affirms the importance of actively opposing all forms of hate speech, bigotry, racial discrimination, xenophobia, gender discrimination, intolerance, and acts of extremism;
Whereas, The Human Relations Diversity and Equity department (HRDE) provides bullying prevention, healthy relationships, and LGBTQ+ supports and resources throughout the District to build safe and affirming learning and working environments for all students, staff and families;
Whereas, The District requires that all staff complete an annual online Implicit/Unconscious Bias Training;
Whereas, The District has a dedicated Commission on Human Relations which functions as a conduit between the community and the Governing Board of the Los Angeles Unified School District;
Whereas, The District annually participates in the United Against Hate campaign by holding schoolwide assemblies, signing anti-hate pledges, and recording messages for the greater school community among other activities;
Whereas, In May of 2026, the Board unanimously supported the Wellness Without Silos: Advancing Student Wellness Through Integrated School Culture and Wellness Teams and Expanded Professional Learning resolution, which integrates and strengthens collaboration between school-based teams focused on addressing school climate, student wellness and safety;
Whereas, The District’s Strategic Plan prioritizes creating welcoming learning environments where students feel safety and a sense of belonging;
Whereas, The proliferation of anti-immigrant rhetoric, antisemitism, islamophobia and persistent anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-Black rhetoric and discrimination have contributed to increased incidents of hate speech, harassment, bias, and hate crimes targeting marginalized communities;
Whereas, the latest Los Angeles Hate Crimes Report documented 1,355 hate crime incidents in Los Angeles County for 2024, representing the second highest ever in the 44-year history of this report;
Whereas, The report further documented an increase of hate crimes taking place at K-12 schools and colleges and universities 139 to 147, accounting for 11% of all hate crimes, which is the highest count ever documented in the report;
Whereas, The California Healthy Kids Survey, collected biennially from students in public schools across the state, reported that many students reported experiencing bias-related harassment or bullying across surveyed grades, including 39% of 7th graders, 26% of 9th graders and 21% of 11th graders;
Whereas, School sites have some flexibility to tailor professional development to address the needs of their school community; and
Whereas, Local School Site Councils have the freedom to develop and pass their own school site specific Hate Speech Policy to address hate speech and foster an inclusive school environment; now, therefore be it
Resolved, That Los Angeles Unified School District recommits to actively promoting and advancing diversity, equity, cultural understanding, and inclusion throughout its schools; fostering safe, welcoming, and respectful learning environments; and recognizing and upholding the inherent dignity and worth of every person;
Resolved further, That District rejects all forms of hate speech and intolerance and will proactively address incidents of when harmful language occurs, prioritizing learning, accountability, reflection, repair, and growth, while maintaining clear behavioral expectations and consequences when speech is used to demean, intimidate, or harm;
Resolved further, That the District provides every school with professional development and resources to address bias-related bullying and harassment, including but not limited to, trainings developed by the Black Student Achievement Plan (BSAP) office and HRDE department;
Resolved further, That schools be provided the tools, resources and guidance to develop their own school site level Hate Speech Policy approved and supported by the Local School Site Council or other school-level leadership committee/council;
Resolved further, That every school, without a current Hate Speech Policy in place, shall develop and implement its own Hate Speech Policy that ensures school personnel are trained, and equipped to interrupt, respond and report hate speech incidents. The policy shall include Tier 1, 2 and 3 strategies to address hate speech:
● Tier 1: Providing training, professional development and education for all teachers, staff, and students, with schoolwide and classroom prevention strategies that promote respect, inclusion, belonging, and safe learning environments;
● Tier 2: Establishing clear, restorative classroom and school-based strategies for responding to hate speech, including immediate intervention, support for impacted students, and opportunities for reflection and restoration;
● Tier 3: Establishing appropriate accountability practices and interventions for repeated or serious incidents utilizing restorative, supportive, and disciplinary responses;
Resolved further, That the District consider using the Student School Experience Survey to better understand the extent of the issue of hate speech in our school campuses by directly incorporating questions related to how students and staff experience hate speech on campus, and, be it finally;
Resolved, That the District will provide an implementation plan for this resolution no later than March 2027, and shall ensure that all TK-12 grade schools have a Hate Speech Policy in place by the spring semester of the 2027-2028 school year.
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