Incident Response Resources for K-12 Schools

A swastika scrawled on the boys' bathroom door. Students chanting "build the wall" to a visiting basketball team during the game. A noose found in the school library. Anti-LGBTQ+ slurs and memes all over students' social media.  

Every day in K-12 schools across the country, we see incidents of bias and hate take place--and they can have a lasting impact on school culture. When they occur, school administrators, educators, and staff play crucial roles in how these bias incidents are managed, communicated about, and the ways the school community learns from and heals in their aftermath.   

Schools should be inclusive and welcoming places of learning where all students can grow, thrive and learn. By communicating effectively and addressing the issues directly when bias incidents occur, schools, educators and administrators can actively challenge bias, foster inclusivity and create a sense of safety and belonging within the school community.  

The most effective responses to bias-motivated incidents incorporate prevention, intervention and sustained anti-bias education. Use ADL's A Guide for Responding to School-Based Bias Incidents or the other teaching tools, lesson plans, discussion guides and other resources below to help with your short and long-term incident response.