FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 14, 2018

Statement from the Baraboo School District
BARABOO, Wis. — The Baraboo School District sent the following letter to parents today.

Dear Parents and Community Members:
We are writing to you today as a follow up related to the image taken of students in our
community. There is little we can say about the details of the investigation at this time, but we
will keep you updated as we are able to share more.
As we stated in a previous communication, hate has no home in Baraboo. We also
understand the moral responsibility we have to be relentless in our work to create a culture in
which racism is not tolerated and where every child and adult is treated with respect and
dignity.
Regardless of the details of the photo or the intentions in the hearts of those involved, the
truth is this is an image that has rightly been described as hateful, frightening and
disappointing.
We are so very sorry that the actions of some of our students so understandably and deeply
hurt people around the world. We have heard from families whose loved ones were lost in
death camps, who fought in the war against such evil and who rightly cannot imagine that an
image like this exists in our modern day.
As you may know, it is a long-standing tradition in our community for students and parents to
take photos prior to an event such as prom. Although the image was taken off school district
property and the photographer was not contracted by the district, the fact remains these are
our students. These are our children. As a district and a community, we are committed to
their well-being and education.
As a school district community, we are focused on ensuring everyone in our district, everyone
in our community and others have an opportunity to come together to listen, learn and heal.
Over the last several days, local, state, national and international organizations, anti-hate
groups and others have reached out offering to help our students, families and the broader
community move forward. We are so very grateful.

 Today, the district is in the planning stages with civic, community, and faith leaders to host an
upcoming community program. Details about the program will be shared as soon as possible
and we encourage all of you to join us.
Together as a school family, we will take this one step at a time and we will engage, learn
and grow to be the Baraboo we all strive to be.
Sincerely,
Dr. Lori M. Mueller
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