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Equity and Inclusion

Equity and Inclusion Commitments and Protocols

Identifying and Reporting Bias-Related Incidents

In May of 2020, as national protests erupted surrounding the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, many institutions responded to what would be a global reckoning with systemic racism through public statements. At Newark Academy we engaged in a series of meetings and honest conversations with our Black students and alumni on race, equity and social justice. These discussions culminated in NA’s Equity and Inclusion Summit that took place on July 1 and 2, when we listened and learned from students, parents, alumni, faculty and staff. 
 
Following the Equity Inclusion Summit, which garnered the participation of a wide range of community members, the Director of Equity and Inclusion submitted a letter on July 24, which outlined eight action steps that NA has committed to achieving by the end of the fall 2020-2021 academic year. These actions included the 12 key recommendations and 60 strategies that came out of the Summit as well as the school's pre-Summit commitments to equity and inclusion.

As recommended by the Summit participants, we have developed a system of accountability for the list of actions that Newark Academy is taking in order to address institutional racism and social injustice. The living document and quarterly reports on this page outline our progress in cultivating a more equitable and inclusive community at Newark Academy.

List of 2 items.

  • Newark Academy's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement

    Newark Academy will cultivate a diverse school community where all members are welcomed, respected, valued, and celebrated. We are committed to our responsibility for fostering and maintaining a caring and inclusive community that thrives on intellectual, social, and emotional interactions across differences. Members of the Newark Academy community are encouraged to build trusting relationships with one another grounded in kindness and empathy. Through intentional, active, and ongoing engagement of multiple voices, we strive to create an equitable environment where all members can have a sense of belonging to learn and grow as citizens of the world.

  • Newark Academy's Community Commitments for Belonging

    All Newark Academy students, faculty, and staff are asked to review and commit to our Community Commitments emphasizing these five values: inclusivity, kindness, responsibility, trust, and growth mindset. In so doing, we hope to further our equity and inclusion goals.

    We promote Inclusivity

    • We respect people, actively value diversity, and are committed to equity, dialogue, and restorative practices.
    • We promote a dynamic and intentional environment that fosters understanding, collaboration, participation, and a sense of belonging. 

    We choose Kindness

    • Being friendly, generous, and considerate to yourself and others often require courage and strength, as it involves the willingness to acknowledge and celebrate others.
    • Choosing to promote care for others and practice camaraderie. 

    We require Responsibility 

    • Responsibility for personal conduct, community well-being, and educational excellence.
    • Awareness and appreciation for differences are constantly reinforced through accountability for one’s choices, words, and actions.

    We foster Trust

    • We build trust in every relationship to foster a culture of integrity, honesty, empathy, listening, reliability, and fairness.
    • Respect for and trust in oneself, the school, and each other.

    We practice a Growth Mindset

    • We nurture a growth mindset in all aspects of school culture, modeling lifelong learning, fostering resilience, and encouraging learning from mistakes.
    • We recognize that Newark Academy’s work is never done in building an inclusive community and we are committed to ensuring all members of the community feel valued.

     

Bias Response and Education System

The Bias Response and Education System aims to support an “upstander” culture at Newark Academy through ongoing education about bias. All members of the Newark academy community are encouraged to recognize, interrupt, and report bias-related incidents.

Recognizing, interrupting, and reporting bias-related incidents that take place at Newark Academy is very important. Filing a bias report is important because it helps the school administrators keep track of the sort of incidents of bias that are prevalent on campus at any particular time so that we can develop and implement preventative educational opportunities for members of the community. 

List of 4 items.

  • How can I recognize a bias-related incident?

    A bias-related incident is an act, intentional or unintentional, that constitutes an expression of hostility or stereotyping in relation to the personhood of individuals or groups by known or unknown perpetrators that occurs at Newark Academy or within a space that impacts the NA community. Such an act may be directed at a member or a group of the NA community (or property) because of individual’s or group’s actual or perceived age, color, creed, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, political or social affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other protected class, or combination of these or related factors.
     
    Some Examples of Bias-Related Incidents
    • Making a comment or telling a joke based on a stereotype
    • Able-ist, antisemitic, classist, homophobic, racist, sexist, etc. graffiti, images or symbols
    • Using language or engaging in actions that intentionally or unintentionally insult someone based on their identifiers
    • Using bigoted language or slur to identify someone
    • Imitating a group of people’s accent as a joke
    • Making derogatory, offensive, or insensitive comments on social media sites about someone’s ability, class, gender, gender identity, political affiliations/beliefs, race, religion, sexual orientation, or other protected class or characteristic. 

    There is No Place for Slurs at Newark Academy
    At NA there is no place for language, utterance of slurs, or actions (on or offline) that are established as bigoted, that are directed at individuals or groups, and/or that intentionally or unintentionally cause harm.  Certain phrases, rooted in historical hate and violence, are so egregious that their use will likely result in suspension or expulsion.  Examples of non-negotiable words are: C-slur (for women), F-slur (for LGBTQ), K-slur (for Jews), N-Word, etc. 
     
    Bias-Related Incidents are NOT Hate Crimes
    While bias-related incidents and hate crimes may both be rooted in stereotypes, prejudice, and bias, it is important to note a significant difference – bias incidents are not criminal acts whereas hate crimes are illegal actions and will be reported to local authorities.

  • How can I interrupt a bias-related incident?

    Education is seen as the driving force of the Bias Response and Education System. All members of the NA community are encouraged to not only recognize bias-related incidents, but also interrupt them as they happen in and outside of the classroom, on or off the athletic field.  Here are some strategies adapted from Syracuse University and Teaching Tolerance on addressing bias:

    • Be Direct: If you are comfortable doing so, be direct and “call-in” the person about their behavior or language.
      You may say - “That phrase is actually offensive.”

    • Question: Ask the person about their behavior or language.
      You may ask -  “Why did you say or do that?” or “What did you mean by that?”

    • Share and Educate: If you are comfortable doing so, you might describe how that language/behavior makes you feel.
      You may say - “That phrase or behavior is hurtful.” or “I’m not sure if you know the history of that word, but…”

    • De-escalate: In certain instances, you may need to momentarily divert attention away from the bias-related incident to de-escalate a situation.

    • Develop an Echo: If you are not the one interpreting the behavior, you are encouraged to join in and add your voice in a way that is supportive.
      You might say - “Thanks for pointing this out. I agree that this language/behavior is offensive and hurtful.”

    • Show Support: If the behavior or language was directed at someone or a group that is present, it is important to let the impacted individual(s)  know you are there for them.

    • Bring in Support: If the situation is such that you don’t feel comfortable interrupting or you did and things escalated, reach out to a trusted adult, your Class Dean, the Equity and Inclusion Coordinator, the Dean of Students, or the Director of Equity and Inclusion.

  • How can I report a Bias-Related Incident?

    Any member of the Newark Academy community can complete and submit an online Bias-Related Incident Report. There are three reporting forms that can be used for this purpose:


    For purposes of consistency, all reports should be completed online. Should a student or employee wish to report in person, they may be assisted by a trusted member of the staff or member of the Bias Response and Education Committee (Bias-REC) while using the appropriate online form.

    In a timely manner, but no later than 2-3 school-days after a report is filed, a meeting to review the report will be convened by an appropriate member of the Bias Response and Education Committee. The person who completed the report will be contacted as soon as practical following the aforementioned meeting to meet with a representative of the Bias-REC. Similarly, the person accused of engaging in the bias-related act will be contacted (as soon as practical the aforementioned meeting) to meet with members(s) of the Bias-REC. 

    It is important to note that while the Bias Response and Education Committee investigates incidents of bias, its primary purpose is to respond to bias-related incidents and educate members of the community on acting as “upstanders” and interrupting bias. To that end, the Bias-REC will make recommendations for restorative action and discipline in concert with key members of the administrative team. The Bias-RES aims to complement and work within Newark Academy or with the Newark Academy community to connect impacted parties and communities with appropriate support and resources. 

    Can a report be submitted anonymously?
     
    Yes, for various reasons, anonymity in reporting will be an option provided to reporters of bias-related incidents. That said, anonymous reporting has limitations and often limits the effectiveness of the response that Newark Academy can implement. So, whenever possible, reporters are strongly encouraged to provide as much information and details as possible to assist with investigation and adjudication of incidents.

  • What are some relevant resources?

    While all members of the NA community will receive regular education on bias-related incidents and how to interrupt them, if you want to learn more consider actively engaging with one or more of the following Office of Equity and Inclusion programs:
     
    • MS Affiliated Student Organizations
    • US Affiliated Student Organizations
    • US Identity Based-Affinity Groups
    • Equity and Inclusion Team Open Meetings
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