Over the past couple of years schools, especially public schools, have been in the news time and time again for acts of bigotry — violent or not. 

Most incidents happen at the secondary level of schooling, middle and high school. Elementary schools put an emphasis on getting along that seems to get lost in translation as people find themselves getting older and discover more hateful influences at a time when their identities are really beginning to be formed. 

Looking for approval from anywhere you can get it, it is far easier to fall into cesspools of hate. 

The Southern Povert

y Law Center conducted a study released in 2019 cataloging biases seen by teachers in schools. According to their study, racial and ethnic bias was most common, followed by prejudice against the LGBTQ community, immigrants, Jewish people, Muslim people and the category “other.”

Racial and ethnic bias make up 33% of what was reported by educators and 63% of what is reported in the news. More specifically, African American students make up an overwhelming majority of this section, followed by Asian American students. 

Administrators ar

e reportedly more likely to take incidents involving racism seriously, with 59% of incidents having someone disciplined, which still leaves a distinct 41% of incidents where people aren’t facing consequences. 

Racial bias is the most reported in schools, and it still leaves a large margin of unspoken hatred, so what happens to those who experience other forms of bias? 

On top of that, incidents reported usually mean very clear forms of bigotry and aggression, so microaggressions frequently go unnoticed and undisciplined in schools. 

It is imperative we as people choose to educate ourselves on people not like ourselves, whether they be a different race, gender, religion, sexua

lity or ethnicity so we may have basic human empathy for others and their situations that may not be the same as ours. 

It is also important that we acknowledge the Blue Valley School District, and more specifically Blue Valley High School, are not immune to the hatred that runs rampant in schools either. 

I don’t think I can count on my hand the number of slurs or derogatory remarks I hear in the hallway weekly, directed at me or not. As we all know, we had an incident earlier this year with vandals painting horrendous and derogatory symbols and statements in our own press box. 

I will not list what these statements and symbols were because I’m sure many of you have seen them, and more importantly because I refuse to give anything of that sort any more of a platform than it has already, unfortunately, been given. 

To those of you affected by these biases in your daily life, everyone will tell you you’re not alone, and while that is absolutely correct, that does not change the way people’s words and actions can make you feel. 

So to those of you affected by these things, I offer my condolences and a hand if you ever may find yourself needing one, and my hope for a brighter future. 

The truth is, we all know this isn’t all right, but the bigger question lies within yourself — are you actually willing to do anything about it?