At the November 18, 2024, meeting of the Lower Merion Board of School Directors, a student from Welsh Valley Middle School shared his experience about an antisemitic comment made to him by another student. On Tuesday, November 19, 2024, Acting Superintendent Megan E. Shafer and the Board shared letters with the community about what occurred.

Ms. Shafer shared the following: 

Dear LMSD Families,

In light of concerns about rising antisemitism in our community, I am writing to address a serious incident that was reported to our Welsh Valley school administration on Friday and further investigated on Monday. During an outdoor break, a student directed antisemitic remarks toward another student.

Let me be unequivocal: hate speech of any kind is not tolerated in our schools. Our commitment is to foster safe and inclusive learning environments where all students feel valued and supported. We believe in cultivating respect for all the diverse identities within our community and will continue to provide training on how to best to support our students and staff in understanding and responding to incidents of antisemitism and other forms of hate.

I encourage all families to take a moment to discuss the significance of treating others with kindness and understanding, as well as the value of embracing differences. Together, we can reinforce the principle of treating others as we wish to be treated.

As a reminder, if your student witnesses or is the target of hate speech or any form of harmful behavior, we urge you to report it using the LMSD Reporting Form or the Safe2Say Anonymous Tipline. Each report is taken seriously, thoroughly investigated, and addressed with appropriate consequences and educational interventions to help students learn from their mistakes.

Thank you for your partnership in building respectful and supportive school communities.

Sincerely,

Megan E. Shafer
Acting Superintendent

The Lower Merion Board of School Directors shared the following: 

Good afternoon, LMSD Community,

At last night’s Board meeting, one of our students bravely shared a deeply troubling antisemitic encounter that happened during the school day. We are addressing the matter in accordance with our the Codes of Conduct in the Student and Family Handbooks (links below) and engaging with the families involved. As a Board, we condemn the antisemitism happening in our school community.

As a Board, we are committed to supporting our Jewish community during this difficult time. Our responsibility is to ensure that all of our students, staff, and community members feel safe, supported, and included in alignment with our policies and our mission. They must feel safe to learn, safe to grow, and safe to lead. 

Over the past year, our Lower Merion Jewish community has endured an alarming number of incidents that undermine our core values as a school community. Incidents range from student conflicts to misinformation among staff and inappropriate comments made at Board meetings. We are not alone. These incidents are on the rise across our nation and this serves as a clear reminder that we must do more.

To that end, the Administration and Board are working on solidifying specific training for our Board, and additional training for LMSD staff and students on the topic of antisemitism, as well as other topics that support our work to build a sense of belonging for all students. In the coming days, as we have finalized dates and information from our partner organizations, we will share specific steps we are taking to address this issue, no later than Dec. 2, 2024.

Sincerely, 

Kerry Sautner, Ed.D.
President, Lower Merion Board of School Directors

Melanie Schafmeister
Vice President

Kimberly Garrison
Board Director

Jason Herman
Board Director

Shayna Kalish
Board Director

Todd Ridky, M.D., Ph.D.
Board Director

Abby Lerner Rubin
Board Director

Anna Shurak
Board Director

Sarah Thomas
Board Director

High School Student and Family Handbooks

BCMS Student and Family Handbook

BRMS Student and Family Handbook

WVMS Student and Family Handbook

BHES Student and Family Handbook

CES Student and Family Handbook

GES Student and Family Handbook

MES Student and Family Handbook

PVES Student and Family Handbook

PWES Student and Family Handbook