by Dennis Dalman
A Sartell resident, Zurya Anjum, pleaded with the Sartell mayor and the four city-council members to join the school district in active efforts to develop ways to stop harassment and bullying of students.
Anjum spoke for three minutes during the Open Forum portion of the July 26 city-council meeting. Anjum, a psychiatrist, is originally from Pakistan. She and her family moved to Sartell 15 years ago, partly because of its reputation as an excellent school district.
But schools are in “crisis right now,” she added.
One school girl recently committed suicide and had been bullied in school, Anjum said. (However, when contacted later by the Sartell Newsleader, Anjum acknowledged she is not sure if any bullying led to the student’s tragic death.)
Anjum was one of the parents who helped organize a public forum in June 2020 when parents and students shared personal stories of racist comments or jibes about religion and/or gender from some students in the schools. There are many cases of students suffering from anxiety, depression and post traumatic stress syndrome, according to Anjum.
“We need to hear from you,” she told the council and mayor. “What are you doing to help change these issues in our schools? If we don’t do something, we will see more of this.”
At the July 26 council meeting, Anjum said the mayor and council members were well aware of that forum. That forum led the school board to authorize the now-controversial Equity Alliance MN audit.
Some parents formed a group opposing the equity audit and some in the group claim that people of color or those who are marginalized are using the equity study to justify classroom teaching that Caucasians are racists.
“That is not true,” Anjum said. “Don’t condemn the person, condemn the behavior. And educate them that it is not the right thing to do if they are using the ‘n’ word.”
Anjum said she has heard many, many times the council has not worked with the school district on equity issues.
“Silence is complicity,” she said. “So please join us in this effort. Thank you.”
