Letter in Response to Great Hearts' Culture of Discrimination

To the Great Hearts Board of Directors,

We write to express our outrage at Great Heart’s recent decision to punish Teleos student Nasir Anderson for wearing , braids to class. This incident illustrates the racist undertones of Great Heart’s dress code and grooming policy which disproportionately impacts black students and students of color. We are especially concerned given that targeting the hair styles of black students and other students of color has been a longstanding hallmark of explicitly racist and “colorblind” racial discrimination in school settings. We ask that Great Hearts revise its dress code and grooming policy immediately and make amends for the harm caused to black students and students of color at every Great Hearts Academy that chose to adopt this policy.

We recognize that Great Hearts issued an apology for its behavior several days after the incident occurred. However, we are concerned that this apology was motivated more by Great Heart’s fear of bad press than by the school’s commitment to inclusive education. Immediately following the incident, Great Hearts issued a public statement which endorsed the school’s treatment of Nasir Anderson and reinforced Great Heart’s racist dress code. We write to demand more timely action from Great Hearts Academies in the future and an immediate change to its dress code and grooming policy. While we are aware that Great Hearts has initiated an “internal review to determine what changes may be needed to ensure this policy is sensitive to...cultural diversity,” we also ask that Great Hearts include the broader school community in a transparent and public policy review process.

Many of the signatories of this letter also support the campaign to end anti-transgender discrimination at Great Hearts Academies. We believe that Great Heart’s recent disciplinary actions serve as further proof of the school’s discriminatory culture. We remain committed to inclusion at Great Hearts Academies and stand in solidarity with Nasir Anderson and other students, families, and communities who have been harmed by the current dress code policy.

Signed,

Hannah Duncan, Class of 2011, Veritas Preparatory Academy

Sophie Duncan, Class of 2012, Veritas Preparatory Academy

Ryan Greene, Class of 2012, Veritas Preparatory Academy

Jude Stone, Class of 2017, Scottsdale Preparatory Academy

Joey Dwork, Class of 2012, Veritas Preparatory Academy

Majerle Lister, Class of 2012, Veritas Preparatory Academy

Morgan Stone, Class of 2015, Scottsdale Preparatory Academy

Brittany Kvittem-Barr, Class of 2016, Glendale Preparatory Academy

Jenae Hirsch, Alumni, Chandler Preparatory Academy

Jocelyn Refermat, Alumni, Scottsdale Preparatory Academy

Stephanie Okonoski, Parent of former student, Archway Glendale Preparatory Academy

Tess Suchoff, Class of 2009, Veritas Preparatory Academy

Cecina Babich Morrow, Class of 2014, Scottsdale Preparatory Academy

Terry Stone, Parent, Scottsdale Preparatory Academy

Nora Presson, Class of 2002, Tempe Preparatory Academy

Laurie Chassin, Parent of former student, Tempe Preparatory Academy

Sonja Stone, Parent, Scottsdale Preparatory Academy

Sammy Schneider, Alumni, Veritas Preparatory Academy

Erin Weber, Class of 2014, Scottsdale Preparatory Academy

Laurel Fiore, Parent, Veritas Preparatory Academy

Olivia Martin, Class of 2013, Chandler Preparatory Academy

Kendall Fiore, Class of 2013, Chandler Preparatory Academy

Danielle Gin, Alumni, Chandler Preparatory Academy

Cheyenne Ferry, Former Student, Chandler Preparatory Academy

Dana Hedman, Alumni Chandler Preparatory Academy

Lorraine Doman-Sheydayi, Parent, Chandler Preparatory Academy

Julia, Alumni, Chandler Preparatory Academy

Regina Pearson, Alumni, Veritas Preparatory Academy

Steven C Callaway, Parent, Glendale Preparatory Academy

Barb Kvittem-Barr, Parent, Glendale Preparatory Academy

Amanda Myers, Class of 2015, Veritas Preparatory Academy

Ben Thomas, Alumni, Veritas Preparatory Academy

Christine Chan, Alumni Veritas Preparatory Academy

Melanie Young, Parent, North Phoenix Preparatory Academy

Madeleine Young, Student, North Phoenix Preparatory Academy

Aimee Goldstein, Parent of a former student, North Phoenix Preparatory Academy

Elyse Salisz, Class of 2015, Veritas Preparatory Academy

Sophia Katz, Former student, North Phoenix Preparatory Academy

Kallie Peeples, Alumni, Chandler Preparatory Academy

Kevin Topper, Former teacher and head of school, Chandler, Teleos, and North Phoenix Preparatory Academies

Joshua McGehee, Alumni, Veritas Preparatory Academy

Amy Appleton, Parent, North Phoenix Prep

Robert Salas, Parent, North Phoenix Preparatory Academy

Gina Montion, Parent, Veritas Preparatory Academy

Kimberly Moore- Salas, Parent, North Phoenix Preparatory Academy

Connie McHenry, Former Staff, North Phoenix Preparatory Academy

Eric katz, Parent, North Phoenix Preparatory Academy

Dale Kvittem-Barr, Parent, Glendale Preparatory Academy

Sarah Coughlon, Class of 2011, Veritas Preparatory Academy

Alexandra Lemon, Class of 2013, Veritas Preparatory Academy

Joshua Quenneville, Class of 2012, Chandler Preparatory Academy

Lyndsay Campbell, Class of 2013, Chandler Preparatory Academy

Jack Kent, Class of 2014, Scottsdale Preparatory Academy

Gabriel Schmitt, Alumni, Veritas Preparatory Academy