CPD out of CPS
One of the most prevalent conversations happening right now is around defunding the police and finding alternative ways to create safe and healthy communities. This includes removing police from schools. On June 5th, a group of Columbus City School alumni drafted a letter asking the CCS Board of Education to terminate their contract with the Columbus Police. They gave the board 72 hours to respond and ultimately protested at the curb of the Board President's home.
The protest and campaign has been led by a group of engaged CCS alums, including two OWA members, Kanyinsola Oye and Julia Allwein. Their demands and calls to action are outlined below.
"We recognize that the CPD has not only caused stressed on countless students but various forms of trauma. We are looking for students to join our team and for people to share their stories! We are currently looking for students in two capacities. Firstly, June 16th Columbus City Schools will also be having a board meeting. We are asking those who have personal stories they are willing to share about CPD in CCS to speak at the board meeting. The board members have stated that hearing students and CCS alumni testimony could make the difference when the time to vote comes. The link below enables current and former students to submit stories anonymously and have someone else share them as well. Secondly, we are looking for students who are willing to join our teams (media, planning actions, communications, research) and lead this fight.”
Sign up to get involved here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1hqpjuG-X4BopCKpDCeuQl06WzIO5J2ngNzcVnJU4f60/edit?ts=5ee18b82
Join the cause: tinyurl.com/coalitionCCS
Sign the support letter: www.tinyurl.com/letterCCS
Our demands:
1. The Columbus City Schools District terminates contractual agreement with the Columbus Police Department for school resource officers and instead uses the funding to increase counselors, nurses, and social workers in schools.
2. The Columbus City School District releases an action plan, devised with student input, to reaffirm the commitment to Black Lives in their district.
3. The Columbus City Schools District ceases to dispatch police officers for all school-related events and limits communication with the Columbus Police Department except in the case of an emergency, which will be strictly defined, such as extreme acts of violence as in the case of a school shooting.