Parents of students at Denver’s George Washington High School no longer will be given the choice to keep their children from attending individual school assemblies after an opt-out form for a Black History Month event drew community outrage.

On Tuesday, George Washington parents were sent an emailed newsletter that referenced the school’s “African-American Heritage Month assembly” in March that included a form allowing them to opt their kids out of attending the event.

“Students who opt-out of the assembly will be supervised in the library for the duration of the assembly and will return to their second-period class at the conclusion of the assembly to continue the school day,” the letter to parents reads.

In a follow-up message to parents, Principal Kristin Waters wrote that the opt-out form was standard for any all-school assembly at George Washington High.

Parents and community members began calling the school and the Denver Public Schools district offices to express disappointment in making an assembly centered around black heritage optional.

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Hasira Ashemu — co-founder of the education advocacy group Our Voice, Our Schools — said parents began contacting him with the opt-out information, knowing he is vocal about social justice movements within Denver Public Schools.

Ashemu posted about the situation in a Facebook group full of Denver teachers, parents, administrators and community members in an effort to mobilize action and conversation around the matter.

“I wanted to articulate the particular issue in this instance, but also put it into a more systemic-wide context,” Ashemu said. “I wasn’t attacking the principal of GW. It’s more so understanding that this is the overall equity issue that DPS is suffering from, especially when it comes to black parents, students and employees of DPS.”

Less than a week ago, the Denver Board of Education unanimously passed a resolution requiring every public school in the district to create a plan to enhance the success of its black and African-American students, Chalkbeat Colorado reported.

Following community concerns, Waters sent a message to parents Wednesday saying that George Washington High School is now eliminating its assembly opt-out policy and that all students will be required to attend educational assemblies.

“As we continue the important work of dismantling systemic racism, segregation and inequity in education, and specifically at George Washington High School, we appreciate our community holding us accountable,” Waters wrote. “To expand the perspectives and learning opportunities for all of our students, it is counter-productive to promote the opportunity to opt-out of an assembly examining any part of history, culture or current events.”

Waters could not immediately be reached for comment. It was not known whether any parents had opted their kids out of the Black History Month assembly before that option was rescinded.

“After hearing the concerns expressed by George Washington High School families, school leaders responded as rapidly as possible to correct the assembly opt-out policy so that it better reflects the school’s commitment to all students,” Denver Public Schools spokesman Will Jones said in a statement. “The school deeply appreciates the GW community for providing feedback and advocacy, and is grateful for the opportunity to remedy this.”

Yasiris Torres, a George Washington High School teacher, said she and another teacher alerted Waters about the community’s negative reaction to the opt-out form.

Torres said Waters and many others within the school are working on inclusivity and are currently talking about ways to better include students of color into the high school’s international baccalaureate program.

“It’s pretty segregated right now,” Torres said. “It’s mostly white kids in the program, and we’re trying to stop that divide and include everyone.”

Torres said she sees the hard work the school is doing to address diversity — like having assemblies focused on LGBTQ issues — and feels that Waters’ elimination of the ability to opt-out was the right decision.

“It shows she’s listening to the community,” Torres said.

Ashemu likened the results to the same Denver education movement that garnered national attention through a three-day teacher strike earlier this month.

“What I hope will begin to show those who are not already in the movement is that when we stick together and when we raise our voices, centered in justice without all of the divisive and accusatory language that pervades the greater society, that we can be heard,” Ashemu said. “I hope GW and Dr. Waters’ administration can specifically serve as a working example of what it looks like to have black, brown, poor, working-class people advocate for themselves inside of an institution and have that institution respond in such a way that it becomes responsive to the deepest needs of equity for all children.”