Statements and Press Releases

4/19/24: Dear DeWitt Public Schools families, staff, and students,  

At DeWitt Public Schools, we are committed to providing a safe and welcoming learning environment that helps all our students achieve and succeed. We do not tolerate discrimination, harassment, bullying, or threats of any kind, whether on school property or on social media. 

I wanted to take the opportunity to update you regarding an optional mini-lesson outside our general curriculum we offered to students in one of our elementary school classrooms. The purpose of the mini-lesson was to promote greater understanding, compassion, and kindness regarding gender identity and the use of pronouns after concerns were brought to our attention. Parents and guardians were informed in advance and given the opportunity to opt out, as the lesson was 100% voluntary, and not part of our school curriculum.

Since that announcement, several of our hard-working school staff members have received inappropriate, angry, and threatening phone calls, emails, and social media messages. Some staff members have had their personal information, including information regarding their families and children, placed online to harass and intimidate them, a cyberbullying practice called “doxing.” While the vast majority of these inappropriate communications have originated outside of our community, several staff members have expressed feeling anxious, stressed, and even afraid to go to school. This is unacceptable. We are in contact with local law enforcement regarding these communications and have increased both police and administrative presence as precautionary measures.

The goal of the voluntary mini-lesson was to help promote Dewitt Public Schools’ vision of a safe, nurturing, and supportive learning environment where all learners can succeed. Unfortunately, it has become a major disruption and distraction to that vision in which our staff, administrators, and students feel unsafe. Therefore, in consultation with our School Board, administrative leadership team, and school employees, I have made the decision to cancel the mini-lesson to help ensure the safety of our entire school community and maintain our focus on providing a world-class education to all learners. 

We realize this decision will please some and disappoint others in our school community, and I can assure you we did not reach this decision lightly. We did so simply out of legitimate safety concerns expressed by the amazing group of educators and administrators who work hard every day to provide a culture of excellence. 

I truly appreciate the outpouring of support from many of our parents and community members, as well as our excellent and dedicated teachers, support staff, and other school employees. I want to make abundantly clear that this decision will in no way distract us from our mission and core values to promote compassion, kindness, and a greater understanding of the diverse world we live in and prepare young people to be leaders and world citizens in that world.   

It is an honor to serve as your superintendent.

Sincerely, 

Shanna Spickard, Superintendent

DeWitt Public Schools

4/17/24: Dear DeWitt Public Schools families, 

At DeWitt Public Schools, the safety and well-being of our students and school community is our top priority. We do not tolerate discrimination, harassment, bullying, or threats of any kind, whether on school property or on social media. This is consistent with our mission to provide a safe, welcoming environment where all learners can succeed.

I wanted to take the opportunity to update you regarding an optional mini-lesson we offered to students in one of our elementary school classrooms. The purpose is to promote greater understanding, compassion, and kindness regarding gender identity and the use of pronouns. The mini-lesson is not designed to challenge, persuade, or alter family beliefs. Instead, it aims to promote a safe and respectful learning environment where all our students feel valued. 

Again, this is an optional session and 100% voluntary and is only being offered to students in one first grade classroom in response to concerns brought to our attention, not as part of our general curriculum. Families of elementary students offered the opportunity to participate in the lesson have received letters with specific information about the lesson and its purpose, as well as the option to opt their student out of the lesson. 

At DeWitt Public Schools, we remain focused on providing a world-class education for our students that prepares them for success in a safe, welcoming environment.

10/5/23: At DeWitt Public Schools, we are committed to fostering a positive, engaging, and welcoming school environment and a culture of excellence that equips our students to build a better tomorrow. We do not tolerate harassment, bullying, intimidation, or threatening behaviors of any kind – whether at school or on social media.

Today, we reactivated our district’s Facebook and Instagram accounts following a series of inappropriate tagging and comments, name-calling, and threats stemming from a former school employee’s personal post. We have been working closely with local law enforcement, who continue to investigate the online and telephone threats, which have been anonymous and non-specific; therefore, they were not deemed credible or cause for a lockdown or school closure. Most, if not all, of the inappropriate conduct has been initiated by individuals outside our district and outside the state, the investigation has shown.

Our social media accounts are designed to be a place for our school community to engage in our teaching and learning, get information, connect with our greater community, and highlight the outstanding accomplishments of our students, teachers, and staff. We look forward to continuing these accounts to share the great work we’re doing here at DeWitt Public Schools.

We recognize that our students, staff, parents, and community members may sometimes disagree with each other, sometimes passionately. That’s part of living together in a community. I ask all our students, parents, and community members to join me in recommitting to civil and respectful discourse in school and online, so we can model the best behavior and serve as a positive example for the amazing students and young people we serve. Working together, we will continue providing an excellent education for our students in a safe, respectful, and welcoming environment.

Thank you for your patience and continued support.

10/3/23: At DeWitt Public Schools, we strive to create a culture of excellence in everything we do. This means fostering respect, civility, compassion, and understanding. We oppose harassment, intimidation, bullying, or threatening behavior of any kind, whether it occurs on school property or on social media.  

Recently, we became aware that our school social media accounts became the target of inappropriate tagging, inappropriate comments, threats, and name-calling in reaction to a former employee’s personal post on a social media platform. Many of these comments appear to have originated outside our district and, in some cases, from other states. In response to the apparent threats, we immediately contacted law enforcement and have temporarily deactivated our social media accounts while police investigate. We apologize for any inconvenience that may cause, and we believe this will be a temporary situation. Given the volume and nature of the unacceptable conduct and inappropriate comments being made, we determined this was the best course of action to promote a safe and respectful environment for dialogue regarding school matters. 

Sadly, many other public schools have become targets for these kinds of attacks. We recognize that our students, staff, parents, and community members may sometimes disagree with each other, even passionately. This is all part of a healthy school environment. However, when these disagreements turn threatening or involve name-calling or the use of hateful speech, we have an obligation to intervene, which is consistent with our school policies, values, and mission. We understand the importance of maintaining a positive and respectful online environment for our community and will provide updates on this situation as they become available. We are committed to resolving this matter as quickly as possible. We will remain focused on providing a world-class education for our students in a safe, respectful, and welcoming environment.