Wayland school officials address racist incident involving Black student’s jersey in locker room
By Peter Eliopoulos, Phil Tenser
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WAYLAND, Mass. (WCVB) — School officials are investigating a racist incident involving a Black student’s football jersey in the locker room of Wayland High School, families were told Friday.
A yellow plastic “children at play” street safety figure was discovered in the boys locker room, hung by a belt around its neck from a ceiling pipe, according to a message from WHS Principal Allyson Mizoguchi. The figure was wearing the student’s jersey.
She added that a student immediately reported the discovery to staff, sparking an investigation that has identified students responsible for the incident.
“This centuries-old symbol of hate and racial violence evokes deep emotion and has no place in our community,” Mizoguchi wrote.
“This racist act violates a sense of safety for valued members of our community and is counter to the values we hold sacred as a district,” Superintendent David Fleishman wrote in a note to families.
Mizoguchi said the WHS counseling team “and other trusted adults” would be available to students Friday. She also encouraged students to speak with their families about the incident and reach out to the administration if they require additional assistance.
“We do not tolerate acts of hate in Wayland, and we will take all appropriate actions to ensure accountability, learning, and healing within our community,” the principal said.
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