Organizer left in the dark after district cancels diversity events

A local Diversity worker is demanding answers after the School District apparently barred him from organizing future Diversity events.

Peters says he had week-long events scheduled at two local high schools last school year, but he was abruptly removed from his planned event at Duchess Park…

“I was doing Diversity Week last year and received and email saying I could no longer participate and do any future projects, and I asked for clarification, but they won’t give me any.”

Though events in McBride and DP Todd went through, Peters was forced to cancel on with 40 organizations who were lined up for Duchess park- which put on a watered-down version of Diversity Week.

“Instead of having 40 societies in a week-long event, they put 4 societies in a back room and called it Diversity Week, and won’t let me do anything else.”

Since then, Peters feels like he’s been left in the dark, and says emails to every single trustee have gone unanswered.

“Either they think the district is way ahead on the issues of diversity and bullying and don’t need to deal with it, or someone in the district has a personal beef, and is making it where the students are suffering.”

Peters decided to confront the district during the Public Input portion of Tuesday’s School Board Meeting, with SD57 Chair Tony Cable agreeing to contact Peters before the end of the week.

Cable chalked the delay up to the rush of summer, but said he will arrange a meeting with ‘whoever needs to be there’.

On Peters’ end, he says he just wants to save his project.

“I’m encouraged now that he’s (Cable) doing it, I’m sad that I had to come to a meeting to do it. It’s been two months, and he couldn’t be bothered to send an email… I’m hoping that by Friday he follows through with a letter and a meeting date.”