Dear Neighbors,

The school year approaches and it’s time for those start-of-the-year parent-student conversations. Whatever usually gets discussed over your kitchen table, might I suggest that you touch upon the well-publicized lawsuit against the school district?

We all know that whatever happens around the kitchen table at home shows up again over the cafeteria table at school. We, the parents, have this opportune moment to set to rest a lot of the vitriol, assumptions, anger, name-calling and other community-damaging attitudes that have been expressed by adults over the past few months.

As our children head into their school year, what might we prefer they focus on? This is an important question to ask ourselves so that the school year may begin with the highest level of focus, enthusiasm, positivity and goal-setting possible.

With regard to the lawsuit itself, my opinion is that all citizens should be afforded the right to access the legal system when they deem it the necessary next step toward righting a perceived wrong. I also believe that every defendant is innocent until proven guilty and that the legal process is where the truth will be best found. To allow a lawsuit to progress in an environment of patience and respect is to protect both parties. I hope my fellow parents will join me in this perspective, as our children’s next school year begins.

— March Twisdale