FAIRPORT, N.Y. — ​Susan Jasie has a daughter who is a senior at Fairport High School. She recently sent a letter to the Fairport Central School District expressing concerns about staff being encouraged to wear items supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. 


What You Need To Know

  • Susan Jasiem, whose daughter is a senior at Fairport High, believes staff is being encouraged to wear items supporting BLM

  • Fairport Superintendent Brett Provenzano says the district is not participating in, or endorsing, Black Lives Matter

  • Jasie believes BLM is political and should not be in schools

"Black Lives Matter should not be in the schools. It's a political movement. You're opening up a Pandora’s box for people," said Jasie. 

Jasie's husband is an investigator with New York State Police. She believes the movement is anti-police and puts her daughter and other kids of police in a tough situation.  

"Kids are being told that police are bad, which are their parents. Then, they are told that if they support the police, now they're racist. And they're not racist. They are being put in a situation that they don't need to be in," said Jasie.

Fairport Superintendent Brett Provenzano says the district is not participating in, or endorsing, the Black Lives Matter movement. He says discussions about what's going on in the country right now have happened in school, but teachers are not trying to influence students in any way.

"Teachers have a voice in expressions in their personal lives. When they come to school, we also recognize that they have a role and a responsibility to create an environment that allows students to feel comfortable, safe, and dignified. And political expression in the classroom and anything that inhibits the learning in the environment, that is counter to the policy that we have," said Provenzano. 

"His view is that we're not supporting the movement. We are not, but in essence, you are allowing it in your building so therefore you are supporting it," said Jasie. 

Jasie says she supports diversity and going forward she says wants all students to be included and have their voices heard. 

"School should be a safe place for schools to learn and express themselves and not worry about what their teachers think of them, not worry about who their parent is," said Jasie.