AACPS Makes Global Community Citizens Class Mandatory For Students
ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY (WJZ) -- Anne Arundel County Public School students will now have to take a Global Community Citizens Class in order to graduate.
The new requirement comes in the wake of hate speech, racial slurs and threats of violence in the school district.
"As a result of this gap in cultural acceptance in our community, we have come up with this course," Josie Urrea, the Vice President of the Anne Arundel County Board of Education said.
The new requirement was passed Wednesday.
It was supported by Superintendent George Arlotto.
Last week, Arlotto addressed the ongoing problem at a meeting.
"It makes me both very angry and sad that, in 2019, we're having to have these conversations," he said. "But we know that we have to do this on behalf of our kids."
The new requirement comes one day after a student used a racial slur on Snapchat after her high school team lost a basketball game.
Three months ago, a racially motivated threat was sent to a black student at Chesapeake High School.
The next day, a noose was found in the bathroom at Chesapeake Middle School.
"This class is not about racism," Julie Hummer, a member of the Board of Education, said. "The objective for this class says building community and awareness of differences for acceptance and inclusion."
An amendment that would have pushed implementation of this course back another year did not pass.
This course will now be required starting next school year.
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Correction: In an earlier version of this story, we spelled Josie Urrea named wrong. We regret this error.