GCS Superintendent releases statement on break-in at the Capitol

This morning, Greenville County Schools released the following statement from Superintendent Dr. W. Burke Royster.
“Like me, you may be very disturbed and disheartened by yesterday’s events in Washington, D.C. While peaceful protest and dissent are foundational rights in America, violence, terror, and vandalism meant to intimidate and threaten the political process and desecrate the most precious symbols of our Union are not. Wednesday’s events make it even more difficult to focus and carry on in an environment already shaken and destabilized by a global pandemic. This type of disorder and chaos in the hallowed halls of government is not the norm in the U.S. and it is not what most of us need in an already challenging time. Despite the disturbing images of yesterday afternoon, I am encouraged that Congress, acting in a bipartisan manner, reconvened last night to complete their work. To me, this provides evidence that even though the Capitol Building may have been breached, our system and American spirit were not."
“For many of us, yesterday’s events will be a topic of conversation today with colleagues and students. I encourage everyone to continue to model the kind of behavior, respect, and listening skills we want to see from our leaders and fellow Americans. As public educators, the burden of preparing young people to be respectful, engaged, and active citizens falls more heavily on our shoulders than most."
“Thank you and may God bless America.”