Greenwich Country Day School (GCDS), a private school in Greenwich, Conn., sent a letter to the families of students on Monday inviting them to a back-to-school event, so long as they identify as a racial minority.
“The annual Cider and Donuts event is open to GCDS families who identify as Black, Asian, Latinx, multi-racial, Indigenous, Middle Eastern, and/or people of color,” read the letter, which was obtained by National Review.
The letter was addressed to “GCDS families” and was signed by the director and associate director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Above the description of the event, scheduled for October 8, it mentioned the importance of “building an inclusive, just and equitable community reflecting the multitude of human identities and perspectives in our world.”
The school’s DEI website states that its mission is to “nurture meaningful learning through interactions and collaborations between people of diverse and intersecting identities,” including “race and ethnicity,” and its annual tuition ranges between $37,150 and $48,500.
The Republican Town Committee (RTC) of Greenwich scrutinized the description of the event, saying on Twitter, “You listed nearly every group but white people… was that on purpose? Is that how you bring people together? Inclusion…?”
“You listed nearly every group but white people… was that on purpose? Is that how you bring people together? Inclusion…?” pic.twitter.com/yVYwSL2AqG
— Greenwich Republicans (@GreenwichRTC) August 1, 2022
Head of School Adam Rhodie told Greenwich Time was “surprised” and “disappointed” about the RTC’s statement, but also admitted the letter was not phrased in the best way.
“I think there are ways we could change the language a little bit in the letter,” Rohdie said, according to the outlet. “If any family wanted to attend they would be welcome to attend. We celebrate community throughout the year, and we provide opportunity for affinity groups and families of students with common interests and backgrounds and experiences.”
Rhodie also said that “almost the exact same letter has gone out” in the three years since the school started the Cider and Donuts event.
“If a Country Day family wants to take issue with this, I’m excited to sit down and have a cup of coffee with them,” Rohdie told the outlet. “But for a major political faction in town to put this on their website, it is surprising.”