School Administrators: We’re ‘Relieved’ By Chauvin Guilty Verdict

The school district’s top administrators on April 20 weighed in on the multiple guilty verdicts against a former Minneapolis police offer for the 2020 murder of George Floyd, saying they were “relieved” by the jury’s decisions, and offered resources for district parents and students who may have been impacted by the trial.

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is White, was found guilty earlier in the day of 2nd Degree Murder, 3rd Degree Murder and 2nd Degree Manslaughter for his killing of Floyd, who was Black. Jurors deliberated a little over 10 hours in reaching their verdicts, after a three-week trial.

The guilty verdicts come nearly a year after Minneapolis resident Floyd’s murder by Chauvin – who kneeled on the man’s neck for more than nine minutes – was caught on a cell phone recording by a 17-year-old girl. The recording went viral, and Floyd’s murder sparked marches around the world – including in Franklin – by people protesting police violence against people of color.

“We are relieved that in this case the officer was held accountable for his actions and we are hopeful that this
verdict will be an important step towards achieving a racially just society,” schools Superintendent John Ravally and Assistant Superintendent Dan Loughren wrote in their letter.

The two also wrote that they acknowledged that the Chauvin trial may have impacted some Black and Brown members of the school community, and recommended resources to help them cope.

“We would like to acknowledge the potential impact that this trial has likely had on the Franklin School
Community and especially our Black and Brown families,” the two wrote. “With that said, if you need assistance or know of someone in need of assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to a faculty member who will put you in
touch with appropriate resources.”

Ravally and Loughren also posted several resources to “help guide discussions both in school and at home about the trial and its outcomes.”

School Board President Nancy LaCorte said praised teh two administrators for their actions.

“I am proud that Dr. Ravally and Dr. Loughran wrote the letter to provide resources for our students and staff to check in with their feelings,” she said.

The resources provided by Ravally and Loughren are:

• For Parents: PBS Talking to kids about Race and Racism: https://www.pbs.org/parents/talking-about-racism
• For Teachers: Facing History https://www.facinghistory.org/educator-resources/current-events/reflecting-george-floyds-death-police-violence-towards-black-americans
• For Teachers: Curriculum On George Floyd: https://www.choices.edu/teaching-news-lesson/george-floyd-and-the-long-fight-for-racial-justice/
• ADL Resources: https://www.adl.org/education/resources/tools-and-strategies/george-floyd-racism-and-law-enforcement-inenglish-and-en

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