The New Haven Unified School District Board of Education in Union City, California passed a CEASEFIRE resolution on December 19, 2023

THE NEW HAVEN UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF EDUCATION RESOLUTION NO. 035-2324

Calling for a Ceasefire and Release of Hostages in Israel and Palestine

WHEREAS, the New Haven Unified School District is committed to creating inclusive and just conditions where all our students, staff members, and families feel a sense of belonging; and

WHEREAS, we cherish our cultural richness and strive to ensure all communities feel respected and heard, including our Jewish, Muslim, Christian Arab-American, Palestinian, and Middle-Eastern immigrant communities; and

WHEREAS, the New Haven Unified School District has a long history of embracing social justice and supporting members of our school community who have been, both historically and currently, subjected to racism, discrimination, or marginalization; and

WHEREAS, we mourn the loss of all Israeli and Palestinian civilian lives from October 7 to the present, and also throughout the decades of displacement, occupation, oppression, and blockade endured in Gaza and the West Bank; and

WHEREAS, the Israeli military attack on Gaza responding to the Hamas terror attack in Israel on October 7 has already led to thousands of civilian deaths and casualties, including thousands of children; and

WHEREAS, the New Haven Unified School District recognizes that this conflict impacts students in our classrooms and encourages all staff to support students by creating environments in schools and classrooms that build empathy and compassion and promote constructive dialogue where no student or staff member feels singled out for their identity, ethnicity or religious affiliation; and

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the New Haven Unified School District recognizes that many groups within our community have had long and complex histories of trauma, displacement, and oppression, and we are committed to creating safe learning spaces for every student by committing to combat anti-semitism, islamophobia, and ethnonationalism in all its forms; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the New Haven Unified School District believes that peaceful diplomacy is the only way to achieve these goals and calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, the release of all hostages, the withdrawal of Israeli troops currently in Gaza, and the safe passage of substantial humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people.

PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Governing Board of Education of the New Haven Unified School District of the County of Alameda, this 19th day of December, 2023, by the following vote: