ACAN Present Hugh Li’s statement to RRISD board of trustees

April 20, 2021 Hugh Li

In the recent Round Rock ISD Board discussions about keeping students and staff safe against COVID-19, Board Trustee Dr. Xiao voiced his own position on mask wearing. While objections to his policy position are expected and normal, both within the Board, and among the concerned RRISD communities, we were horrified by the vicious personal attacks against Dr. Xiao on social media, particularly on Facebook. Some of these attacks are racially motivated, hateful, stereotyped, and worst of all, they suggest despicable violence (see FB screenshots in the Appendix). We cannot, and will not, let this kind of hateful attacks go unanswered. Racist hate and attacks against Asian Americans, Black Americans, or any other PoC should have absolutely no place in RRISD.

On behalf of AAPI and other organizations listed below, we unequivocally condemn these racially motivated attacks, and the hateful and cowardly behavior of these individuals. We demand that the RRISD Board of Trustees promptly issue a clear statement condemning such attacks against one of their own, and that the law enforcement authorities take appropriate actions against such suggestions of blatant violence.

The full statement can be found below:

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