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