Diversity Affirmation

We are pleased and thank the Falls Church School Board for graciously accepting the unique gift offered it by News-Press founder, owner and editor Nicholas F. Benton by a unanimous vote this Tuesday. Mr. Benton's $10,000 contribution, made through the Falls Church Education Foundation, is designated for an innovative approach to stemming bullying, discrimination and disrespect among high school students. It creates a "Diversity Affirmation Education Fund" that can be used by teachers, counselors, staff and students, alike, to support projects and programs that will encourage affirmation and respect among all students. In addition to special events and assemblies, for example, it is hoped that formal or informal student groups with identities rooted in the affirmation of diversity will see the fund as a resource they can readily turn to finance some of their own activities.

The fund's mission statement, as crafted by Mr. Benton, specifically identifies student characteristics that could be subject to the kind of discrimination or harassment that the fund is designed to ameliorate through the promotion of respect and affirmation of diversity. They include "race, religion, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, disability, height, weight, introversion or other distinguishing factors."

School Board member Joan Wodiska hit the nail on the head in her comments supporting the fund Tuesday when she said, "Low levels of violence, such as bullying and teasing, desensitizes students and allows for larger events to happen (such as a Columbine or related tragedies). They eat away at civility and an individual's sense of self-worth."

Indeed, behaviors of intimidation, taunting and low-level violence too often occur outside the view of teachers and parents, alike, in hallways between classes, on routes to and from school, and increasingly on the Internet. Studies have shown, however, that when students prone to engage in bullying and related activities are singled out and taught about the damaging consequences of their actions on others, they often self-correct their behavior. But when not addressed, and when, even worse, such behavior is tacitly supported by the proverbial "wink and nod" of a teacher or coach, it can lead to damaging psychological consequences for its victims that can lead well into adult life and can too often even result in suicide. Investigations of the Columbine tragedy revealed chillingly the role of systematic bullying and taunting in motivating the two student killers to react with their murderous rampage as an indirect form of suicide.

We hope that the new "Nicholas F. Benton Diversity Affirmation Education Fund" at George Mason High will succeed and become a model for other schools and school systems. We are keenly aware that a growing mood of intolerance toward diversity in the larger culture heightens the need for programs like this, as well.