BEXLEY, Ohio (WCMH) — Bexley City Schools are officially “No Place for Hate.”
The district said the No Place for Hate title came from the hard work of students and Stephen Lewis, Bexley Schools’ leader of school community engagement. Bexley’s high school, middle school and each of its three elementary schools all established student groups to work toward the designation. This school year, the Anti-Defamation League awarded all district schools the official No Place for Hate designation.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL)’s mission is to “stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.” Although the ADL has drawn criticism from Jewish groups like Jewish Voice for Peace, which disagree with the ADL’s current pro-Israel activism, the No Place for Hate program has a broad focus and covers challenges to bias and bullying, according to its website.
Bexley representatives said No Place for Hate is about belonging, empathy and inclusion. They explained the high school’s Culture Climate Council felt No Place for Hate was an achievable goal for students to rally behind.
Once things took off in the high school, the district established student groups and staff advisors across all buildings. These groups lead student activities centered around combating hate and bullying, which inspired the ADL award.
The change comes at a time when diversity, equity and inclusion events are facing federal and state pushback. Ohio banned DEI programming at public universities, and bills have been introduced at the Ohio Statehouse to ban DEI for K-12 public schools. School leaders explained the No Place for Hate title does not infringe on these concerns.
“No Place for Hate is about the way we treat each other as human beings,” district spokesperson Carol Taylor said. “Kindness is not a controversial topic. It is a characteristic everyone can demonstrate and embrace.”
As part of the program, each elementary school held programming to combat hate and bullying. At Maryland Elementary, for instance, P.E. teacher Josh Price led student volunteers through a skit and asked why school counselor Megan Reeve was sad. Reeve told the students no one had asked her to play, and Price helped them include her in a simple game. The student volunteers also shared why they feel it’s important to be kind.
All three elementary schools have their own No Place for Hate pledges. Montrose Elementary’s pledge promises to be “respectful, responsible, safe and kind” and ensure everyone is included. Maryland’s pledge is slightly longer and promises to use kind words, stand up for other people, and understand that people make mistakes. Cassingham Elementary students pledge to be mindful of other students’ boundaries and to be supportive.
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Courtesy photo / Bexley City Schools -
Courtesy photo / Bexley City Schools -
Courtesy photo / Bexley City Schools
On the first day of school and at student assemblies, faculty and staff donned black and yellow T-shirts that say “No Place for Hate.” Students asked Montrose Principal Nyesha Clayton why they were all dressed alike, and she told them the school was celebrating its new designation.
“The hope is that No Place for Hate becomes a natural reflection of the entire Bexley school community,” Taylor said. “Where students and staff have a positive sense of belonging, where they feel valued, and welcomed, where students can flourish and be their authentic selves and achieve success on their journey to adulthood.”
