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Military Institute violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. “Generalizations about ‘the way women are,’ estimates of what is appropriate for most women, no longer justify denying opportunity to women whose talent and capacity place them outside the average description,” she wrote. English teacher Beth Hanak believes that this ruling has helped make America a more
MCPS is currently investigating the possibility of opening schools during the second quarter for select groups of students with the highest degree of need, possibly renouncing their previous announcement that the first semester would be conducted entirely virtually. MCPS sent an email to staff members on Sept. 25 giving a 45-day notice of the possibility of returning to in-person classes. The notice was required by a deal agreed upon by the Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) and MCPS. Superintendent Jack Smith clarified that the notification does not signify that MCPS will shift to in-person learning. “This does not mean that in-person instruction will begin in 45 days,” he wrote. “It means that we can… do more in-depth collaborative planning for the eventual return to instruction in buildings.” The MCEA president, Christopher Lloyd, declined to comment for this story. The possibility of returning to in-person classes places a burden on MCPS to keep students safe and prevent the spread of COVID-19 within schools, a task that school districts across the country have struggled with. Heating, ventilation, and air condition (HVAC) systems are essential to limiting the spread of COVID-19, according to Linsey Marr, the Charles P. Lunsford Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech. “[HVAC systems] are critical. Ideally, you could open the windows if the weather is conducive for it. That will greatly improve ventilation, preventing a buildup of virus
see RBG page A4
see REOPENING page G1
DELIA MORAN
By Luther Voltaire Staff Writer On Sept. 18, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died of pancreatic cancer at age 87 at her home in Washington, D.C. She served as one of the nine justices on the U.S. Supreme Court for more than 27 years. Ginsburg was nominated to the nation’s highest court by President Bill Clinton in 1993. She made history as the first Jewish woman—and only the second woman—ever to sit on the court when she was con-
firmed later that year by the U.S. Senate with a 96-to-three vote. In the days following Ginsburg’s death, Blair senior Abby Kusmin took command of organizing a community vigil at the Red Brick Courthouse in Rockville. Kusmin, a leader of Sunrise Silver Spring—a local chapter of the national climate justice organization Sunrise Movement—said that the Sept. 23 event aimed to inspire youth to respond to Ginsburg’s passing by taking action instead of mourning. “I hope [it was a way] to get people
to take action at that moment and realize [not to just say], ‘Oh, let’s be sad, mad and hopeless,’” she said. “I hope it was kind of an impetus.” Throughout her tenure on the court, many recognized Ginsburg as a feminist icon. She fought for gender equality, reproductive rights, and other liberal policies that altered the course of American jurisprudence. In 1996, Ginsburg wrote the majority opinion in United States v. Virginia, ruling that the male-only admission policy at the Virginia
By Lilia Wong and Jon Eckert News Editor & Staff Writer
When the system fails survivors
Trigger warning: This article contains information about and somewhat graphic descriptions of sexual harassment, assault, and abuse. By Aviva Bechky and Annie Goldman Opinions/Design Editor & Staff Writer Where only first names appear, names have been changed to protect the identity of the sources.
Arya reported sexual harassment. Then she reported it again. And again. “It was this horrible cycle,” she says. As far as she knows, her harassers never received consequences other than verbal warnings. Over the summer of 2019, a
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group of Blair students added her to a group chat and repeatedly made degrading sexual comments. Arya, who graduated from Blair in 2020, reported this to the school several times. She talked to counselors and security, completed the MCPS Bullying, Harassment, or Intimidation Reporting form (Form 230-35), and even spoke to school staff with other students who had been harassed by the same boys, hoping that their collective voice would be heard. Despite all of this, she saw little restorative or retributive action from Blair. “Nothing happened,” Arya says. “When [school staff]
said, ‘If they do this again, there will be consequences,’ they should have actually meant it.” Fed up, Arya eventually posted about her experiences on social media. Her story joined an outpouring of sexual harassment, abuse, and assault allegations throughout MCPS that were shared online this summer. Students across the county and at Blair continue to raise concerns about the protocol and its implementation, from uncomfortable interactions with security while recounting traumatic experiences to uncertainty around how administration imposes consequences for perpetrators.
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The official process MCPS regulations outline the technical process for reporting and investigating sexual misconduct. Per these guidelines, students who have experienced or witnessed sexual harassment, abuse, or assault should file a report, either verbally or written, to any staff member, who will help the student fill out Form 230-35. Once filed, the form is used to launch an investigation. Either the Blair security team or the Special Victims Investigative Division (SVID) of the Montgomery County Police Department will look into
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the incident. Misdemeanors go to security; felonies go to the SVID. As defined by Maryland law, misdemeanors are sexual offenses in the fourth degree, such as sexual contact without consent. Felonies are offenses in the first, second, or third degree, which include rape and nonconsensual sexual contact involving a weapon. After receiving a report, Blair principal Renay Johnson and administration decide whether to refer it to the police. SVID can then choose whether to take the case or leave it to the school. see REPORTING page D5
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