LA schools launch hotline for students coping with Trump anxiety

Los Angeles Unified School District has launched a new hotline to help students and their families address anxiety after Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election.

School Board President Steve Zimmer talked to many students and families who were feeling anxious about their future in the U.S. given Trump’s campaign promises to tighten immigration and deport undocumented immigrants, according to a statement from the school district.

{mosads}“We value every student, every family, no matter which part of the world you come from, what language you speak or what religion you practice,” Zimmer said in a local television broadcast. “You are all part of the L.A. Unified [School District] family.” 

Along with the hotline, six support sites were opened this week to offer emotional support, enrollment and attendance information and referrals to outside sources, according to the release.

“We will continue to fight for the rights of all students and families, and we are here to support each and every one of you,” Zimmer said.

In an interview with Time magazine, Zimmer said that he has met with families after the election who are preparing to pull their students out of school out of fear. 

“The worst thing that could happen is that because of fear, dreams are interrupted, families leave, students reach a stress level where it’s destructive to their education,” Zimmer said. “That would be a very, very sad victory of fear over hope.”