Graphic by Sesame Gaetsaloe/ The Choate News
Over the summer, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force was established to address gaps and inequities within existing systems at Choate and address the many concerns raised by students. Spearheaded by Dr. Myers, the task force consists of 10 other faculty members: English Department Head Ms. Ellen Devine, Director of Athletics Mr. Roney Eford, Spanish teacher Mr. Charlie Fuentes, Assistant Director of Counseling Ms. Raynetta Gibbs, Fourth-form Dean and Alumni Engagement Associate Mr. Will Gilyard ’98, English teacher Dr. Edrik Lopez, Assistant to the Director of the Paul Mellon Arts Center Ms. Kelly Lorraine ’99, HPRSS teacher Ms. Cindy Okrah, Mr. Velez, and science teacher Ms. Yuxin Xie.
In an email sent to students on July 16, Dr. Curtis and Dr. Myers shared that the work of the Task Force will encompass three main phases. The first phase aimed to gather feedback, sort data, and review pre-existing policies through a Task Force feedback form, phone and Zoom calls, and email correspondence with members of the Choate community.
The second phase was focused on developing and providing virtual workshops for the Choate community. Between August 18–21, the Task Force held eight workshops: three for current students; two for faculty, staff, spouses, or partners; and another three for alumni and parents. During the workshops, members of the Task Force reviewed new policies and initiatives. Workshop members went into breakout rooms to discuss each policy’s merits and potential areas for improvement.
Some ideas discussed in the workshops included a bias reporting form that would be accessible on the portal and a new identity-based slur policy that would allow for the possibility of probation, suspension, or dismissal for students found using identity-based slurs. The identity-based slur policy has been included in the 2020–2021 Student Handbook.
The final phase will conclude next month, with a final assessment written by the DEI, analyzing the workshops and presenting a plan for implementation of their proposed policies.
However, the process won’t end there. “One big hurdle was that we had a small amount of time to get things done, and we recognized we weren’t going to get everything done in the summer,” said Ms. Gibbs. The DEI Task Force will continue operating throughout the year.
