Racism is not a new plague. Yet my parents, who observed the Civil Rights Movement unfold in the 1960’s – my mother on her family’s television screen, my father in his family’s backyard — hadn’t considered that 50 years later we would be dealing with issues of racism as severe as we have these last few years, from Nazis marching in the university town of Charlottesville, to the instances of police brutality which have sparked the Black Lives Matter movement. Though our “Quiet Corner” has not seen the violence occurring elsewhere, we are not immune from racial epithets and crimes – racially motivated acts of vandalism and theft are no longer permitted to be reported on the Hampton Neighborhood Watch Group due to the racially charged responses. Most disturbing are reports of racism at our local high school, which have alarmed and distressed several families.
“Due to confidentiality laws, I can only say that several students were disciplined for violation of the Parish Hill Student Code of Conduct dealing with harassment and comments that were racial in nature,” Superintendent Kenneth Henrici confirmed. “The students who engaged in these highly inappropriate behaviors were dealt with swiftly.”
Although the language used is too vile to publish here, student text messages forwarded to the Gazette reveal repeated use of unconscionable racial slurs and derogatory references to the LBGTQ community. Sexist language was also evident. Vulgar suggestions made to one female student, who responded with “disgust”, was met with “there’s a reason (girls) don’t have rights.” Reportedly, the students involved, at least one of whom is related to a district teacher, were suspended for five days. Henrici would neither confirm nor deny that the student who reported the bigoted language to an instagram account that was exposing racism and homophobia at the school was also suspended for five days.
Though students interviewed alleged that instances of racism, homophobia, and sexism have occurred in other social settings at the school for a number of years, administrators were quick to respond to this latest accusation. According to Henrici, the inappropriate student behavior, and the school plan to address the issue, was discussed with members of the Board of Education, which delegated the response to the district’s administration. “We are addressing this issue in a variety of ways,” Henrici reported. “We have weekly Student Advisories for all students. I have directed the administration to devote the weekly Advisory periods for students to address diversity, intolerance, racism, and cultural competence until further notice.” Henrici added that all departments met immediately “to plan lessons, incorporate curriculum-related articles, share anecdotal stories, and plan other activities that address” these issues. In addition, the Curriculum Review Committee (see page xx) will meet to incorporate the advisory and departmental activities and lessons developed into their classrooms “on a regular basis.”
Henrici also noted that in the recent past, the NAACP led a school assembly and met with students in individual classes to address racism from historical and contemporary perspectives. The school has also utilized organizations such as the “Hero Center” and “The Sandy Hook Promise”. Extracurricular clubs, such as Gay Student Alliance and Model UN address diversity and equity as well.
“The very small number of students exhibiting unacceptable behavior is not reflective of the core values of the Parish Hill student body,” Henrici said. “I am very confident that our plan will address these important issues with the utmost attention and urgency that they deserve. I am also certain that our student body will respond to this issue in the manner that we expect—head-on, with commitment and with no acceptance of intolerance.”
We hope so. This would be gravely disturbing even if there weren’t any children of color attending Parish Hill, but there are. Fifteen percent of the students there identify as members of a minority group. And that’s what makes all of this all the more tragic.
India Arriola