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The
following is attributable to IEA President Kathi Griffin:
“Everyone wants to be safe in their community – no matter where
they live, no matter the color of their skin. The jury’s verdict
today helps remind us that no one should be above the law, even
if they are the law. Derek Chauvin was hired to serve and
protect his community. Instead, he took the life of George Floyd
over the alleged passing of a fake $20 bill, in broad daylight,
on a Minneapolis street, ignoring onlookers who were warning
Chauvin he was killing Floyd.
As Chauvin’s co-workers and supervisors testified at the trial,
he violated the department’s Use of Force policies. Their
testimony indicated they believed Chauvin’s actions showed he
lacked a moral compass.
There has been a long list of crimes committed against Black and
Brown people by police over the years. Now, more are being
caught on camera. As a result, justice is more likely to be
served.
The Illinois Education Association, wherein part of our mission
is “to effect excellence and equity in public education” is
asking people to ask their Senators to support the George Floyd
Justice in Policing Act, which calls for common sense police
reforms, including:
Requiring the use of dashboard and body cameras;
Mandatory de-escalation training;
The end of racial and religious profiling;
The end of no-knock warrants;
And, the prohibition of potentially fatal measures that block
blood flow to the brain (like that which killed George Floyd).
It is our responsibility to look out for the safety of our
students -- all our students. And, we believe changes such as
these will help.”
The 135,000 member Illinois Education Association (IEA-NEA) is
the state’s largest union. IEA represents Pre K-12 teachers
outside the city of Chicago and education support staff, higher
education faculty, retired education employees and students
preparing to become teachers, statewide.
[Illinois Education Association]
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