Fairfax Families,
This morning, several hundred students from Fairfax High School exercised their right to protest following an incident between two students that took place in school on Tuesday afternoon. Fairfax HS staff and administrators, along with our school resource officer, worked to ensure our students were gathering in a safe location and away from public streets. Fairfax County Public Schools and City of Fairfax Schools support the rights of students to peacefully protest.
An investigation is being conducted into the incident, and no further details can be shared at this stage while administrators work to establish the facts. FCPS condemns all acts of intolerance and violence in our community, most importantly in our schools. In partnership with our office of safety and security and local police, we investigate all incidents thoroughly.
Administrators met with a group of students this morning to hear their concerns about the incident and the overall environment at the school. Fairfax High School is committed to providing a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for people of all races, national origins, ethnicities, and religions and to listen to student voices. It is our responsibility to ensure that all people are treated with dignity and humanity in our schools as well as foster an open, respectful, and inclusive learning environment for all students. We have much work to do and will continue to strive to promote a school community where all students feel respected, safe, and included.
While we support students’ right to peacefully protest, we have a responsibility to maintain accurate attendance records to ensure student safety. As such, students who chose to participate in the protest would have been marked absent from the classes they missed. If you receive a call regarding an absence, please speak with your student to ensure they were on campus and participating in the protest.