At its first meeting of the academic year, the Sidwell Friends School Board of Trustees adopted a Policy on Institutional Statements that states the School will not comment on world events or matters of public policy, nor will it take political positions that are not directly related to School operations.

An ad-hoc committee of the board, appointed last spring, recommended the new policy following several months of consideration and reviews of similar policies at other institutions. The board approved the recommendation on Wednesday, September 25.

In its rationale for the policy, the board noted that institutional statements incorrectly presume a consensus of opinion in a community.

“Given the broad diversity of the Sidwell Friends community, it is unreasonable and impractical to assume that we might reach a sense of unity in the same manner as a Quaker meeting or advocacy group,” the board wrote. “Our community is strengthened by our diversity and difference, which promotes critical thinking, deep learning, and introspection. We should strive to be a community that supports healthy, respectful, and engaged disagreement within the context of our shared values.”

Further, the board stated that “regardless of how well institutional statements are crafted, they invariably privilege certain events and perspectives over others, thereby suggesting that some policy issues deserve priority. The statements can therefore be perceived as exclusionary.”

“No school, especially one as diverse as Sidwell Friends, can adequately address the full range of student, faculty, parent, and alumni concerns and opinions, and the School must therefore be mindful about the unintended consequences of issuing any statement,” the board wrote.

The board’s policy restated the fact that the School, a non-profit organization governed by IRS regulations, may not participate or intervene in political campaigns on behalf of any candidate for public office, and that the School “will consequently neither endorse nor criticize any candidates, nor will it comment on their platforms, statements, or policies.”

The board emphasized that the policy does not prevent students and faculty from openly discussing difficult topics in the classroom, which is an essential element of an education. The policy also notes that the School can continue to communicate how it is supporting students during particularly difficult times.

“We must remember that our core mission calls us not to opine on public policy or current events, but to develop, in the Quaker tradition, the intellect and moral conscience of our students,” the report concluded. “We must remember the enduring query that we ask our students: How will you let your life speak?”