LISD statement on Twin Creeks incident in July 2020

September 16, 2020

Leander ISD condemns racism in any form. 

District staff and law enforcement investigated a July incident where a group of teenagers, including students from Cedar Park middle and high schools, stole Black Lives Matter yard signs in the Twin Creeks neighborhood, and one uttered a racial slur. We are extremely upset and saddened by the actions of the students involved, which directly harmed our community and reflect negatively on themselves, their families, classmates, teachers, and schools. Those involved have received consequences in accordance with the district’s disciplinary standards and campus principals continue to meet with families to address their individual questions and concerns.  

We believe our current and former students have bravely shined a light on where intolerance and bigotry exist in Leander ISD, and it is extremely upsetting to see this kind of attack in our community. Because of student privacy requirements, we cannot comment on the specifics of the situation or disciplinary action. Our district stance on racism has not changed and we will not tolerate racism on our campuses and in our extracurricular activities. 

The groups and classrooms connected to these students will need to grapple with and learn from this terrible incident. Disciplinary action plays its part. So does peer-to-peer discourse and shared learning from mistakes and failure. Both campuses have staff members (and students at CPHS) leading conversations around equity, diversity, and access on our campuses. This will continue to be a focus area for our entire district and we are using the incident that occurred this summer as an opportunity to grow as individuals, educators, and as a community.   

Respectfully,