Full Notification

Novato Stands Up Against Hate-
City, Police Department, School District and Residents Join Forces to Stop Hate

August 20, 2019

Recently, Not in Our Town Novato was made aware of a flyer containing anti-Semitic language that is circulating around Novato.  The hate rhetoric on this flyer was an indication we must continue our work to stand up to hate in our community. Hatred builds barriers in communities, creates fear and erodes any sense of inclusiveness for all those that call Novato home.  Incidents like this erode trust and tear down relationships in communities. “Acts of hate, such as this one, not only hurt the community, but tear at our social fabric. They cannot be tolerated in our community. The recent spate of violence in our country fueled by hate, racism and bigotry has demonstrated the compelling need for all community members to stand together and speak out against hate,” said Novato Mayor Eric Lucan.

In 2018, the Novato Police Department began working with Not In Our Town Novato to improve relationships between law enforcement and the community and to remove barriers for the reporting of hate crimes and hate motivated incidents. “Our work with NIOT Novato over the past two years shows our commitment to making Novato a safer place to live and work for everyone. No one in our community should face hate based danger. The department will continue to use every tool at our disposal to thoroughly investigate and prosecute hate crimes whenever they occur,” said Novato Police Chief Adam McGill.

“The Novato Unified School District stands for equity and inclusion for every member of the human race.  Our students come to us from an infinite range of backgrounds, ethnicities, genders, and religious and political beliefs---and all our students have a fundamental right to feel welcome, safe, and included at our schools.  Our educators and I appreciate the long-standing partnership we have with NIOT Novato to achieve this goal,” commented Superintendent Novato Unified School District, Kris Cosca.

“The solution to hate violence lies with all of us. We’ve seen that together, communities can create an atmosphere where hate and bigotry are made unacceptable, and where young people learn to respect differences- not fear them. No hate, no fear, no violence; Not In Our Town,” said Patrice O’Neill, CEO and co-founder of Not In Our Town. The entire community needs to know that the leadership of the City of Novato, Novato Unified School District and North Marin Community Services along with many dedicated community volunteers care about protecting all residents, and will stand with them to prevent hate violence and intolerance.

The City of Novato and Not in Our Town Novato strongly condemn these anti-Semitic flyers. We must show strong community support for those who have been targeted by this flyer and other minority or marginalized groups affected by similar hate speech.  We ask all individuals and businesses to help stop the intimidation and prevent hate speech from being displayed or disseminated.

We encourage our community members to stand in solidarity with us and take the Not In Our Town pledge. Say No to Hate.  https://www.niot.org/take-pledge

For more information about Not In Our Town, visit https://www.facebook.com/NIOTNovato/

Hates Crimes Brochure: What You Need to Know to Protect Yourself and Others https://oag.ca.gov/hatecrimes