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5 <br /> 1 and appreciated working with Commissioner Hamilton on this. She thanked the Board for their <br /> 2 willingness to read the resolution together to present a united front. <br /> 3 Starting with Commissioner Hamilton, the Board read the following resolution in turn: <br /> 4 <br /> 5 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> 6 <br /> 7 RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE STUDENTS, STAFF, AND BOARD OF EDUCATION OF <br /> 8 ORANGE COUNTY SCHOOLS WHOSE SCHOOL CLIMATE HAS BEEN ADVERSELY <br /> 9 AFFECTED BY PROTESTORS <br /> 10 <br /> 11 WHEREAS, Orange County Schools is located in the northern and western part of the county <br /> 12 and serves more than 7,400 students and approximately 800 teachers and administrative staff; <br /> 13 and <br /> 14 <br /> 15 WHEREAS, respect for diversity and emotional and physical safety are central elements in the <br /> 16 Safe and Supportive Learning Environments adopted by the US Department of Education in <br /> 17 2015; and <br /> 18 <br /> 19 WHEREAS, Orange County Schools Board of Education meetings and events in September <br /> 20 and October were disrupted by protestors displaying hostile and intimidating behavior including <br /> 21 racist and homophobic language; and <br /> 22 <br /> 23 WHEREAS, in the Resolution to Address Harm Caused to Students by Incidents of Hostile and <br /> 24 Racist Behavior, passed by the Orange County Schools Board of Education on October 11, <br /> 25 2021, staff and students attested to the emotional and psychological harm done by the <br /> 26 protestors; and <br /> 27 <br /> 28 WHEREAS, as stated in Section12-3 of the Orange County Civil Rights Ordinance, the policy of <br /> 29 Orange County is to promote the equal treatment of all individuals; to prohibit discrimination in <br /> 30 Orange County based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, familial status, <br /> 31 and veteran status; to protect residents' lawful interests and their personal dignity so as to make <br /> 32 available to the County their full productive and creative capacities, and to prevent public and <br /> 33 domestic strife, crime, and unrest within Orange County; and <br /> 34 <br /> 35 WHEREAS, the Orange County Human Relations Commission was established by the Orange <br /> 36 County Board of Commissioners to make recommendations designed to promote goodwill and <br /> 37 harmony among all groups in the County; <br /> 38 <br /> 39 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Orange County Board of County <br /> 40 Commissioners (BOCC) shall work with Orange County Schools, the Orange County Sheriff's <br /> 41 Office, and the broader community to promote peaceful and civil discourse and behavior, and <br /> 42 support our students and school staff; and <br /> 43 <br /> 44 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Orange County BOCC calls upon the Orange County <br /> 45 Department of Human Rights and Relations and the Human Relations Commission to continue <br /> 46 to study and recommend to the Orange County BOCC, within the next six months, measures <br /> 47 that will promote civility among all groups in the County; and <br /> 48 <br /> 49 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Commissioners directs the Clerk to the Board to <br /> 50 share this resolution with the Orange County Schools, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, <br />