Henrico County Public Schools creating Office of Equity and Diversity

In the wake of a racially-charged incident involving the Short Pump Middle School football team, the Henrico County school system announced Thursday that it would create an Office of Equity and Diversity and will hire a director-level position to oversee it.

The director of equity and diversity will oversee Henrico Schools’ efforts at increasing equity and diversity across the school division. Superintendent Patrick C. Kinlaw made the announcement Thursday evening at the School Board’s work session. The school division also will create the HCPS Equity and Diversity Task Force, a new group composed of students, parents, staff and community members.

“This will move us closer to our goals,” said Kinlaw. “For several years we’ve adopted equity and cultural competency as one of our areas of focus and this is an important step. It complements and brings together the things that our schools are already doing and adds a strong and needed dimension.”

Among other responsibilities, the new director will develop, implement and assess the division’s short- and long-range cultural diversity plans in pursuit of the division’s goals, and coordinate related professional development for staff members. He or she will collaborate with other HCPS departments on academic programs and curricula; help to recruit and retain a diverse workforce; serve as a contact point for parent and employee concerns about cultural diversity; connect with community organizations; and serve as a coach and trainer for students, families and employees on cultural diversity issues. The director will also facilitate the new Equity and Diversity Task Force.

“We want to thank the county manager and Henrico County government for supporting the school division in this endeavor to make our schools more inclusive,” said Beverly Cocke, chair of the School Board and Brookland District representative.

Several weeks ago, a video showing several white football players at Short Pump Middle School simulating a sex act on a black teammate went viral, leading to the cancellation of the rest of the team's season and the dismissal of at least two assistant coaches. The School Board later hosted a public forum at the school, which attracted a boisterous audience.

The school division will initial new relationships with some community groups on issues of equity and diversity, according to HCPS officials. HCPS also plans to expand its work with the nonprofit Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities, which will provide the school system with ongoing guidance and support with challenges such as bullying, equity, racial relations, harassment, ethics and cultural responsiveness. The group was recognized in 2013 and 2016 by the General Assembly for its work with schools, businesses and communities.

Formation of the new Equity and Diversity Task Force will begin when the new director has been hired. Task force members may apply or be nominated for consideration. More details about the process will be announced in January.

The position is expected to be posted and advertised next week.