October 19, 2017

1:00 p.m.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As you may have heard, it was reported this morning by multiple news media outlets that a
De La Salle student and a student from another school had been arrested on suspicion of an
off-campus assault of a Carondelet student.

We know very little about the ongoing investigation, and we have not been contacted by the
local authorities. It is our obligation to respect the privacy of the individuals involved.

Although we cannot comment on the incident, let us make ourselves clear: at De La Salle
High School, we expect and demand respect for all persons.

As soon as we were informed of the news, De La Salle and Carondelet immediately called
our faculty and staff to town hall meetings. Both schools then gathered students on each side
of Winton Drive to engage them in a discussion around appropriate behavior, expectations
around confidentiality, and the real consequences for engaging in inappropriate behavior,
including irresponsible and hurtful social media use. At De La Salle, we invited students to
communicate what they expect of themselves and of their peers. We also encouraged them
to talk with their parents, our counselors, faculty and staff, and each other.

We take the safety and well-being of all students very seriously. A core Lasallian value is
respect for all persons, and we have had ongoing conversations with our students and
implemented programs in partnership with Carondelet. These programs are numerous and
include our on-campus participation in Mentors in Violence Prevention, revisions of our
dance protocols, invited speakers including the social justice activists Tony Porter and
Ashanti Branch, a curricular focus on respectful masculinity, and an institutional focus on
bystander training.

And we still need to do more.

Please keep our communities in your prayers.

Sincerely,

The De La Salle Presidents Cabinet