The threatening 54-second voicemail left Sunday night at A.M. Kulp Elementary in Hatfield Township, which is now being investigated by local law enforcement and has caught the attention of the FBI, was at the heart of the North Penn School Board virtual-only meeting Tuesday night.
The phone call was triggered by an allegation that a fifth-grade teacher separated students by race and made white students apologize to Black students during a classroom exercise in May 2021.
According to the district, at last week’s Education/Curriculum/Instruction Committee meeting, Kulp Elementary School Principal Christina Carter took part in a Diversity, Education and Inclusion (DEI) presentation that highlighted the work being done at the school board’s request. Afterward, she was, according to the district, subjected to vicious attacks on social media. Fifth Grade Teacher Kelly Chappell was also harassed because of the activity, according to the district.
Board President Tina Stoll started the meeting by reading a statement released by North Penn School District on Feb. 3.
Stoll then said the board wanted to set the record completely straight on what occurred in the Kulp Elementary classroom.
“To be very clear, this board supports the DEI work being done in this district. One of our goals when we got elected was to advocate for policies that make sure every student that comes through North Penn feels welcome, safe, heard, represented and has every opportunity afforded to them to succeed,” Stoll said. “Part of that work is providing professional development lessons to our staff on these topics. Mrs. Chappell took a PD lesson on teaching Perspective and Empathy and tailored it to her fifth-grade students.”
“The students were asked to line up – and not by color,” Stoll said. “As students are asked to line up for things every day, they lined up in their groups of friends. They were asked a series of questions,” Stoll said.
According to the district, those questions were as follows:
What Stoll is describing is commonly referred to as a “privilege walk,” which is an exercise designed to show the differences in background between participants. With each yes answer, participants — in this case, students — take a step forward until all questions have been asked. Then, the distance between students is used to highlight the difference in background, societal advantages and perceived privileges.
“There was none of what certain people have claimed to have taken place – there was no lining up by color, there was no apologizing of white kids to Black kids. Again, this was a lesson to teach perspective and empathy,” Stoll said.
The exercise isn’t without its critics, though. And angry parents had previously addressed the board about privilege walks occurring in North Penn schools.
An example of a privilege walk can be seen below.
“We want you to know that we stand behind our staff of teachers, principals, support staff and others who are meeting the daily duties of their job, plus the added responsibilities that are needed in today’s world. Words like dedicated, caring, innovative, resilient and motivated are not on many official job descriptions but they are the essence of North Penn employees,” she said. “Day in and day out, NPSD staff members are doing what is asked of them and more for the students of this great school district. Whether you agree with every step the school district makes or not, we ask that you remember to treat each other with kindness and respect.”
Stoll said Chappell and Carter and Kulp’s staff have been subjected to vile phone calls and voicemails left at the school.
“Not necessarily in North Penn School District, but from all over the country. We debated about whether to play the worst of the worst this evening – but I do feel it is one thing to tell you how awful these calls are, and another for you to actually hear how despicable they are,” Stoll said.
The voicemail was then broadcast during the meeting. You can listen to it here. Be warned, there are vulgarities and slurs, and discretion is advised.
“These attacks are demoralizing and effect our staff greatly. This is the staff that has done everything it can over the last two years of a pandemic, to keep our schools functioning for our children,” Stoll said.
She said it is a statewide and nationwide issue – teachers are leaving the profession from lack of respect and stress. There are not enough teachers going into the profession to replace them, she said.
“We are emergency certifying people to be able to sub. This is simply not sustainable,” she said. “We need to show our teachers and staff that we appreciate them and that we support them. So, I will close by saying this again – Whether you agree with every step the school district makes or not, we ask that you remember to treat each other with kindness and respect.”
Superintendent Dr. Curt Dietrich said the district has dealt with months of people coming to meetings and not following the request to be nice, kind, and respectful.
“The people that come to the podium spread things that are not factually correct, and this has now spread nationwide,” Dietrich said. He said there has been increased security at Kulp Elementary and individuals continue to feel threatened there.
“We don’t want to have an environment in school where children are watching and say, ‘What is going on?’,” he said. “It’s concerning and upsetting to our children. I am asking the community to stop spreading falsehoods that just aren’t correct.”
Dietrich said discussions can be civil, but everything lately is uncalled for in the community.
Board Vice President Christian Fusco, an educator himself, expressed his thoughts on the matter. He said people continue to say that North Penn needs to just teach students math and reading and science and leave the rest to the parents.
“The truth is public schools are absolutely responsible for teaching children. The whole child. Yes, that means teaching them about the larger world around them and the people who share that space,” Fusco said. “It is the role of educators to help students understand that the world doesn’t end at their doorstep. There are people in this world who look different, who speak differently, who worship differently. It’s important for us to teach children that all people have value and that we are all a part of the American experience.”
“We aren’t judging children by the color of their skin; we are helping build the content of their character,” he said.
Fusco said that was the purpose of Chappell’s lesson – to expose students to the wider world around them by providing perspective on situations of others.
“Frankly, I applaud her effort. I applaud the work at Kulp Elementary and the work of the educational leader in that school, Christina Carter,” Fusco said.
He said her presentation showed how Kulp is reaching children, including making Home & School meetings accessible, making sure notices sent home are translated to the correct language of the household, and highlighting a different language every month during morning announcements.
“Ms. Chappell and Ms. Carter were attacked this week. Frankly, Ms. Chappell has been attacked for months over this lesson. Let me be clear: people are attacking her and Ms. Carter for doing their jobs,” Fusco said.
Fusco said he and his fellow board members know what they signed up for and what they were getting into when running for school board. Chappell and Carter, and their peers, did not, he said.
“Those two women who have been harassed in social media, threatened in emails and messages, they are both Black women,” he said. “That’s not OK.”
Fusco said it was not right for parents to request to have their child not placed in someone’s classroom because of their race or ethnicity, and it was not right for people to address board members Dr. Elisha K. Gee and Dr. Wanda Lewis-Campbell, both Black women, as “Mrs.” to intentionally disrespect them.
“Christina Carter, Kelly Chappell, the Kulp Elementary staff and any North Penn staff members that hear these words and have had experience with these kinds of micro and macro aggressions hear me, hear us: We support you. We have your back. We believe in you and the work you are doing,” Fusco said. “Thank you for being a part of this diverse community and thank you for working so hard for North Penn.”
Board member Jonathan Kassa opened his comments by reading the Feb. 7, 2022 Bulletin of the Department of Homeland Security National Terrorism Advisory System:
The bulletin reads:
The United States remains in a heightened threat environment fueled by several factors, including an online environment filled with false or misleading narratives and conspiracy theories, and other forms of mis- dis- and mal-information introduced and/or amplified by foreign and domestic threat actors. These threat actors seek to exacerbate societal friction to sow discord and undermine public trust in government institutions to encourage unrest, which could potentially inspire acts of violence.
“Now, no way am I saying that we are facing a terrorist threat. Our schools are safe and sound, but it’s obvious something is changing,” Kassa said. He said the district community regularly experiences viral mis- and disinformation campaigns from gossip and false narratives.
“We may not be able to control this manufactured outrage, especially from the outside, but the adults of this community: It’s time we set an example of civility. We’ve had this conversation before. We’ve written this in board newsletters. We have to protect our schools and students by not accelerating this misinformation,” Kassa said. “Jumping to social media without any regard for process is clearly not working. Maybe it is for your agenda or someone else’s, but it’s not working for the community.”
Kassa said the school board understands what is going on, and it must lead by example.
“Now this,” he said. “This is our staff. These are our students. Our school community that is being traumatized are now under siege from outside manufactured outrage. We can never control what happens outside of North Penn, but what we can do as a community to appeal to our reasonable nature — The erosion of truth is an apolitical problem. Let’s pull together as a community to set the right example for our students.”
Board member Juliane Ramić called for civility. She said the board knew when it invested in DEI that it would face discomfort and struggles, but it was worth it in the end.
“I’m shaking, hearing that message again, knowing that threat came from outside our community. We need to call it what it is,” she said. “That call and what it’s inspired, are rooted in what we need to label, and we need to clearly state it – It’s white supremacy and we need to address it as a community,” Ramić said.
Ramić thanked teachers and staff for inspiring children to think beyond their curriculum.
“They’ve had teachers like Chappell and Principal Carter that inspire them. Teachers and principals like that have made me a better parent,” she said. “To threaten them and tear them down is not what our students need. It’s not what our community needs.”
Board member Timothy McBain said the North Penn teachers have been through enough.
“We cannot do much more than to motivate these folks. They came out of it,” McBain said. “I think it’s time to turn to our community and focus there.”
Board member Al Roesch appreciated everything the teachers and staff do for his grandchildren.
“Your job is hard. It’s a tough environment,” he said.
Board member Gee, who has a doctorate in educational leadership, read Amanda Gorman’s poem “The Hill We Climb,” which Gorman read it at the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
“I hope these words can help bring our community together, because I believe we are stronger together,” Gee said. “We can come together.”
Board member Cathy Wesley said the board will continue to do its work on DEI.
“Thank you for all your support and confidence in this board. We are sincere and authentic in what we are trying to do,” Wesley said. “I hope the messages you heard from everyone on this board … is something that will go forward from tonight.”
During public comment, Montgomeryville resident Kunbi Rudnick thanked the board for its transparent report and thorough investigation.
“I have to say, I am very moved in different ways from the last 15 minutes or so, both from listening to the phone call and notes from all the board members,” Rudnick said. “What’s most important is you have investigated, reported, and I hope we can heal and move on.”
Resident Alexis Drolet, a member of North Penn’s Parents in Equity Group, said she re-watched the ECI meeting on YouTube and the presentation on equity and inclusion as it relates to North Penn and four other different schools, and was very proud to be part of the school district where students are taught how to be open-minded and aware of the world around them.
“You will see that 99 percent of what is happening is not these privilege walks and it’s not shaming kids about the color of their skin. It’s allowing students who fast for Ramadan to not feel like outcasts in their cafeteria,” she said. “It teaches kids what inclusivity looks like in definition and practice and making it a part of their school culture.”
Drolet said angry opinions sell headlines.
“Praise isn’t click worthy,” she said. “Kind words don’t get a lot of airtime.”
Montgomery Township resident Lauren Wilson, who is also a member of the districtwide Parents in Equity Group, which she said is comprised of parents from every school who help pull through on cultural proficiency goals, was overjoyed to see work being done on DEI.
“I’m proud to be a part of it,” she said. “I’m thankful for the commitment of our district, our administration, our principals and teachers to continue to bring forth and prioritize this equity and cultural proficiency work.”
See also:
Law Enforcement Investigating After Threatening Phone Call Made to Staffers at Kulp Elementary
Parents Sound Off About Masks at School Board Meeting After Image of Pennfield Student Goes Viral
Exclusive: Mother of Pennfield Student Involved in Mask-Taping Incident Speaks Out
North Penn Issues Statement After Image Surfaces of Teacher Taping Mask to Student
Pennfield Social Studies Teacher Passes Away on Christmas After Short Battle with COVID-19
