A California school district has are under fire after it was reported that school officials created a support group for white students to vent after Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd.

Floyd’s murder has widely believed to be racially motivated abuse of power by the police. However, instead of focusing on the themes of systemic oppression highlighted by the trial, after the verdict was announced, administrators at the Piedmont Unified School District opted to launch a support group for its white students at two high schools. According to emails obtained by SF Gate, a April 21 correspondence to students and faculty said: “We are offering a restorative community circle to support White students who would like to discuss how the trial, verdict, and experiences related to the George Floyd murder are impacting you.”

The message was attributed to Cheryl Wozniak, the assistant superintendent of educational services. Once news of the white-only support group went viral on  TikTok, the backlash was quick. Many wondered why “support circles” for BIPOC, African-American, and Black students, were segregated and set to occur after the white students were assembled first.

Fox 2 KTVU reported that the April 29 white-only support circles had been canceled. However, the group for BIPOC and Black students went ahead as planned on April 30 and May 3. On April 23, Randall Booker, the Piedmont Unified School District superintendent, conceded in a statement that the concept was a tone-deaf mistake.

“A poor choice of words in the subject line of the invitation to white students led to the perception that white students needed the same kind of ‘support’ as our BIPOC students,” he wrote. “Students of all racial backgrounds rightfully pushed back on that idea.”

“The District’s intent was to give our BIPOC students a safe space to talk with others from similar racial backgrounds and to provide white students with an opportunity to talk about how to be an ally,” he stated, before noting, “We recognize that the journey of anti-racism is hard, and we will keep educating ourselves and learning from each other as we travel. This week the students reminded us that words matter. Even when the intention is honorable and right, we need to communicate with sensitivity and care.”

“Our students were the first to call attention to it, and they were right to do so,” school board president Cory Smegal said. “The leadership response was swift and direct — an apology, an explanation. But we understand that all of these caused harm that needs repair.”

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