Menlo Atherton High School students and the Black Student Union are organizing a protest around the police brutality incident that occurred on and off campus on Friday, April 28th. Two Black students were handcuffed and harassed by police at the bus station following an altercation in the office. We do not condone violence in any way, and as advocates of restorative justice practices we do not believe there is any justification for the mistreatment students were subjected to at the bus stop. There is a video circulating of the incident where the students can be seen being attacked by police officers at the bus stop. One student was handcuffed and pinned to the ground while he called out for help and expressed pain from a recent injury. His cries for help and the shouts of onlookers were ignored despite the fact that he was already subdued. 

Students are angry, shocked, and upset about what happened on Friday. Black Student Union is organizing a protest on Wednesday, May 3rd at 4pm. It will be a short march, beginning at Menlo-Atherton High School outside of B-5, followed by speeches. We will be presenting the following demands at the march and during the May 10th Sequoia Union District Board Meeting. 

Demands: 

1. Students are requesting required in-person de-escalation training for everyone on campus. This includes staff, administrators, campus aides, students, and any parents that are interested in receiving this training as well.
2. Clear policies and procedures in place for how to handle this kind of situation. There should be steps taken before police are called - this includes inviting a conflict mediator, de-escalation techniques, contacting parents, among other practices. Calling the police should be a last resort. It was stated that it currently is a last resort, but were all measures taken before calling the police? If so, what measures were taken?
3. Increased transparency around the issue. When something as serious as this happens, there needs to be a school-wide assembly to prevent the spread of misinformation. The email sent out felt impersonal and insensitive given the gravity of the situation. The school did not address the excessive use of force used by the officer in their messaging. We need to be more concerned about solving the problem rather than keeping up appearances.
4. An additional counselor should be hired to help with de-escalation. That person should be sent to ongoing incidents to help students and staff communicate with one another. It is stated in the LCAP that an additional administrator would be hired. We demand that this new hire be trained in de-escalation.
5. Not every situation calls for an authority figure. We would like to train some students to be conflict (peer) mediators as well to help guide conversations between students and staff as a supporter to/advocate of the student. We would like to revisit some of the previously proposed plans around this.
6. Clear policies and job description outlined for our SRO. If we have an SRO, why does he not have stronger relationships with our students? What is he doing to develop those relationships? Why is he not here full time? Why should we still need to call Atherton PD if we have an officer on campus? He should be sent to ongoing situations in plain-clothes with a conflict mediator to help ease students’ anxieties around interacting with the police. If the SRO will not be here when we need him, then we would rather not have his presence on campus.
7. Ongoing conversations need to be had between the school district and Black Student Unions across the district to ensure that the needs of Black students are being met. Black students do not feel safe or welcome on campuses in Sequoia Union High School District. 
8. Increase hiring and retention of Black staff.  

Thank you for your support. Please sign and share this message widely! 

In solidarity, 

Menlo - Atherton Black Student Union