Students and Community Unite Against Hate

One of the biggest barriers to combating hate is the silence around reporting it. On October 10, Beachwood City Schools, in partnership with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, presented the United Against Hate program to parents and community members at Beachwood High School. Part of a nationwide effort launched in 2022 by U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, the program teaches communities to recognize, report, and prevent acts of hate.

“You don’t have to wait for the right time or for adulthood to make an impact,” said eleventh-grade student Alexandra Myers. “Change starts now.”

Attendees learned strategies for building safer communities from a distinguished panel of local, state, and federal officials. Speakers included Sean Fisher from the Department of Justice’s Community Relations Service, Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Riedl, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office Criminal Division Chief Gregory Mussman, FBI Supervisory Special Agent Mike Massie, Beachwood Schools’ Legal Counsel Daniel McIntyre, and Beachwood Police Chief Dan Grispino. U.S. Representative Shontel Brown also was in attendance.

“Hate crimes have no place in our community and certainly no place in our school systems,” said Chief Grispino, urging the community to report any suspicious activities and comments.  “As a community, we have to come together and be the biggest deterrent and report those incidents.”

S.P.I.R.I.T. Program Gives Underrepresented Students a Voice

United Against Hate built upon the success of a student-led program in September, where 50 high school students participated in the U.S. Department of Justice’s S.P.I.R.I.T. program. S.P.I.R.I.T. stands for Student Problem Identification and Resolution of Issues Together. During the full-day workshop, students identified their top challenges and developed solutions focused on three main areas: increasing civil discourse skills, creating safe spaces, and enhancing school spirit. They also elected peers to the newly formed S.P.I.R.I.T. Council, which will lead these efforts under the guidance of Beachwood High School Assistant Principal Aubrei Erkins.

In a speech at the United Against Hate event, eleventh grader Arnav Bokil likened the challenge of confronting hate to his childhood fear of the dark. “I used to be afraid of looking under my bed,” he said. “That is exactly what we do with hate. We acknowledge its presence but never actually challenge it.”

The S.P.I.R.I.T. program, he said, enabled students to “look under that bed, to open that closet door, and confront hate.” 

Arnav concluded by urging parents and community members for support: “We can’t do this alone. We need your help.”