<p>WHEREAS: Cambridge has been a Sanctuary City since 1985, and we have reaffirmed our commitment to<br>remain so as recently as 2016; and<br>WHEREAS: The Cambridge School Committee wholeheartedly embraces its commitment to creating and<br>maintaining a safe and welcoming environment for all Cambridge Public Schools (CPS) students, staff, and<br>families; and<br>WHEREAS: CPS policies including but not limited to JB - EQUAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, GBA -<br>EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY, IB - ACADEMIC FREEDOM, JICFA-E-1 - NON-TOLERANCE OF<br>HATE CRIMES, JIKD - FREEDOM OF RELIGION express the Committee and district’s commitment to prohibit<br>unlawful discrimination, harassment and retaliation on the basis of sexual orientation, gender or sex, gender<br>identity, race or ethnicity, ethnic group identification, ancestry, nationality, national origin, religion, color, mental or<br>physical disability, age, immigration status, marital status, registered domestic partner status, genetic information,<br>political belief or affiliation, military status, or on the basis of a person’s association with a person or group with<br>one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics in the educational programs or activities the district<br>operates; and<br>WHEREAS: All CPS staff and students are entitled to their First Amendment right to free speech, but<br>harassment, discrimination, and bias-based harm have no place in CPS school communities and will not be<br>tolerated; and<br>WHEREAS: Students deserve a safe and supportive space to learn, reflect, and develop critical thinking skills.<br>CPS encourages educator engagement with students to discuss difficult, controversial, or emotionally charged<br>topics in a safe and productive manner. In doing so, CPS provides guidance and resources for supporting,<br>managing, and reflecting on student civil discourse, civic learning, and civic engagement. This includes<br>recognizing the factors that have shaped perspectives, including life experience, family, culture, and identity. The<br>purpose is to provide space where young people generate questions, explore their curiosities, strengthen their<br>civic skills, and analyze aspects of our society and government; and<br>WHEREAS: CPS’ students, staff and their families originate from many different countries, and may have<br>received temporary legal status under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), may be undocumented,<br>and/or may live in mixed status households; and<br>WHEREAS: CPS reflects the diverse population of the world, which the district celebrates in many ways through<br>students’ daily experiences; and<br>WHEREAS: CPS is committed to ensuring students have access to a high-quality, well-rounded, rigorous, and<br>joyful education. To achieve this, CPS continuously works to ensure that students see themselves reflected in the<br>curriculum by incorporating LGBTQIA+, disabled, Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, and other historical figures into<br>its lessons; now therefore be it<br>RESOLVED THAT:<br>1. CPS will work alongside its partners and immigration advocates to provide training and support for students,<br>staff and their families on immigrant rights, understanding various legal statuses, and the overall health and wellbeing<br>of those affected.<br>2. CPS will provide multi-language resources for its students, staff, and their families in partnership with the City<br>on legal assistance, immigrant rights, mental health care, and public safety.<br>3. CPS will include in any legislative agenda advocacy at the state and federal levels for Deferred Action for<br>Childhood Arrivals, Temporary Protective Status, and Refugee Settlement Programs, as well as oppose any<br>legislation for the creation of a Muslim registry system or eroding civil rights protections upon our communities.<br>4. CPS schools will always welcome all students, staff and their families regardless of legal status.<br>5. CPS will not provide assistance to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the enforcement of<br>federal civil immigration law. Therefore, ICE will not be permitted access to CPS facilities or personnel except in<br>the rare instances in which CPS is provided with a criminal warrant.<br>6. CPS will continue to honor changes in names and/or pronouns that students and families have requested, and<br>will welcome individuals to use facilities that match their gender identities.<br>7. CPS will continue to teach about sexual and reproductive health, consistent with policies including IHAM-1 -<br>PARENT/GUARDIAN/CAREGIVER NOTIFICATION RELATIVE TO SEX EDUCATION<br>8. The Mayor, Superintendent, and School Committee Members will publicly defend these values as<br>circumstances warrant.</p>
