CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- School officials in Evanston-Skokie District 65 have been getting death threats over efforts to improve achievement of black students.
Evanston/Skokie school superintendent Devon Horton said “board members and administrators get attacked via emails and postcards with death threats.”
The statement came before the school board held a special meeting to discuss safety and security measures in light of incidents since school began in August. He said efforts by the board regarding racial equity are getting push-back.
According to Evanston Now, over the weekend, the car of one board member was vandalized with homophobic slurs. Last fall, board members received a racist email after a national TV news story aired regarding the district’s policies on trying to reduce the achievement gap for students of color.
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Dr. LaTarsha Green, the Executive Director of Black Student Success read comments from the public during the meeting - but the specifics were not made public.
"Sadly this is not the first time our board members or community leaders have been threatened," she said. "We insist that the voices demanding equity can and will overwhelm the voices of bigotry and hate in our community."
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Board President Anya Tanyavutti said there have been “veiled death threats” since school started.
"There seems to be no limit to what those opposed to equity will do,” she said.
"We have experienced indifferent, yet very personal ways the workings of white supremacy. The way that is it recognized against our black leaders and any of us committed to prioritizing the needs of black and brown children."
She said it’s a small, but vocal minority behind the threats.