UNITED SIKHS Operations Manager Rajesh Singh at the rally
New York: In the wake of the recent school shooting massacre in Santa Fe, Texas, which tragically claimed the lives of eight students and two teachers, UNITED SIKHS Operations Manager Rajesh Singh spoke at a rally in support of expanded security across all schools in NYC.
Several local council members introduced a bill, Intro. 70, earlier this year to amend a 2016 local law in relation to reimbursing small non-public schools for the cost of security guard services. These schools, serving over 75,000 students citywide, are currently forced to choose between funding basic security services and classroom resources, such as staff and supplies.
Parochial schools with less than 300 students and public charter schools in private spaces are the only types of schools in NYC that do not get taxpayer funding for security.
Joined by elected officials, local school educators, interfaith leaders and concerned parents, UNITED SIKHS released the following statement at yesterday’s rally hosted at Brooklyn Borough Hall:
“As a global human rights advocate, UNITED SIKHS stand with Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams in demanding equitable security guard funding for every school across all five boroughs. All New Yorkers, including the youngest among us, deserve to feel safe in our schools and in our City. Through our network of disaster and emergency relief programs affiliated with the United Nations, our organization has worked in the region of Texas where the tragic shooting took place. Our hearts and prayers are with the victims and their families.
We thank Borough President Adams, Council Members Reynoso and Cornegy, and our local community of faith leaders and schools for bringing light to this issue, which has affected so many.”
If you would like to be part of this effort or to help assist those affected by the Texas shooting, please email us at contact@unitedsikhs.org.
Issued by:
Jatinder Singh
Sikh Aid Director, UNITED SIKHS
E:contact@unitedsikhs.org
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