UPDATED: Towson High PTSA president offers support to Dallas Dance

Dance and Pegues

Cheri Pegues sent this note to Baltimore County Public Schools Superintendent Dallas Dance and other BCPS officials on Friday morning in the wake of controversy over Dance’s re-tweet that encouraged educators to support non-white students in the wake of Donald Trump’s election. It is posted here with permission.

As president of the Towson High PTSA, I would like to offer support and encouragement to our superintendent in light of the vitriol that has been spewed on social media regarding the “re-tweet” of a tweet calling for extra support for our marginalized students.

I am a member of the Facebook group “Advocates for Baltimore County Schools” and I am shocked and disheartened by the call for your resignation over a communication meant to convey kindness and empathy for those in our school system who might feel threatened by the outcome of the election. [EDITOR’S NOTE: The founders of the Facebook group “Advocates for Baltimore County Schools” have not called for Dance’s resignation and, in fact, strongly disagree with the calls for his resignation over the re-tweet. It is only some individual members of the group who have expressed these sentiments.]

As the adoptive mother of a bi-racial son, I am very aware of the racism that still exists in our country and it breaks my heart.  Naturally, your call to educators to do all in their power to convey a sense a safety to our students of color seems perfectly reasonable to me and I thank you for it.

Best regards,
Cheri Bond Pegues
THS PTSA President