Letter: Our Students Deserve Schools Where Safety, Dignity, and Inclusion are Reflected in Everyday Actions
Members of the community rallied in support of LGBYQIA+ students, outside Amherst Regional High School on June 23, 2026, prior to the meeting of the Regional School Committee. Photo: Amy Cronin-DiCaprio
Last night, dozens of community members gathered at a rally before the Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee meeting to express concern about the district’s response to ongoing reports of harmful staff conduct and its commitment to ensuring student safety and accountability.
Families, educators, advocates, and community members came together because many believe the lessons of the 2023 crisis at Amherst Regional Middle School remain unfinished. Three years later, questions about safety, belonging, and accountability continue to surface, and recent events have renewed concerns among students, families, and community members.
Those concerns intensified last week when an LGBTQIA+ community advocate and volunteer was required to appear in court after a school staff member sought a harassment prevention order that was ultimately dismissed. For many community members, the incident raised troubling questions about retaliation, accountability, and the risks faced by those who speak up on behalf of vulnerable students.
Inside the meeting, more than 90 minutes of public comment reflected the depth of those concerns. Speaker after speaker called for transparency, accountability, and meaningful action to ensure that queer and trans students are not only welcomed in words, but protected in practice.
The turnout was also a reminder that the movement to protect LGBTQIA+ students was built by students, families, educators, advocates, and community members who refused to look away when concerns were raised. Their persistence helped bring attention to serious problems, and their continued engagement reflects a commitment to ensuring that the mistakes of the past are not repeated.
We are grateful to everyone who attended, spoke, listened, organized, and covered the event. Public accountability depends on community engagement and awareness.
As Pride Month comes to a close, the message from the rally and the public comments was clear: LGBTQIA+ students deserve more than symbolic support. They deserve schools where safety, dignity, belonging, and inclusion are reflected not only in policies and public statements, but in everyday, consistent decisions and actions. Communities build trust when their values are matched by their conduct. Our students deserve nothing less.
Amy Cronin DiCaprio
Steering Committee Member
LGBTQIA+ Caucus of Amherst