Santa Cruz County School Superintendents Address Capitol Riots

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — Following the recent riot on the nation's Capitol that resulted in several deaths and extensive damage to government property, Santa Cruz County school superintendents pinned a letter to parents addressing the issue.

"We watched in horror and outrage as a violent mob stormed the U.S. Capitol in a deadly effort to disrupt the certification of the election victory of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. It also le us with questions as educators and parents as to how we would help our youth and children make sense of this assault on our democracy," the letter read.

Last Wednesday, a pro-Trump mob overpowered police, broke through security lines and windows and rampaged through the Capitol, forcing lawmakers to scatter as they were finalizing Biden’s victory over Trump in the Electoral College.

A Capitol police officer died from injuries suffered in the riot, and police shot a woman during the violence. Three others died in what authorities said were medical emergencies.

"These events in our nation’s Capitol have some members of our community, especially our students, frightened, confused and upset," the school superintendents said. "Our teachers and administrators are looking at how to establish a safe space for discussion and learning about these still evolving events and in the weeks to follow."

Santa Cruz County superintendents are encouraging students expressing fear or distress about what they witnessed to reach out to their teacher, principal or counselor for support.

"There are so many lessons we can learn from this dark episode," the letter read in part. "Perhaps the greatest lesson for our children and our nation is if you sow discontent and fear, you reap hatred and violence. We must continue to champion the power of education to end intolerance, disrupt systemic inequity, and create safe spaces for dialogue, unity, and growth."

To read the Santa Cruz County superintendents' letter in its entirety, click here.

Meanwhile, the House sped ahead Monday with plans to oust President Donald Trump from office, warning he is a threat to democracy and pushing the vice president and Cabinet to act even more quickly in an extraordinary effort to remove Trump in the final days of his presidency.

Trump faces a single charge -- “incitement of insurrection” — after the deadly Capitol riot in an impeachment resolution that the House will begin debating Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the FBI warned ominously Monday of potential armed protests in Washington and and many states by Trump loyalists ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, Jan. 20.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.