Danvers High Wrestling Suspended Amid Snapchat Investigation

DANVERS, MA — Danvers school officials are dealing with more "hazing and hateful" accusations against student-athletes this week just hours after administrators delivered a 90-minute presentation to the School Committee about the progress they believed they were making in diversity, equity and inclusion.

The latest incident includes a fight among two members of the wrestling team last week in which officials said one member was confronted about using racist language on a video three years ago. Danvers officials said in a statement Tuesday afternoon that an investigation into the fight also revealed a Snapchat group that included some members of the team and had references to "hateful and hazing and biased language."

The wrestling program has been suspended pending a school and Danvers police investigation.

"Further discipline and restorative action will be forthcoming pending the outcome of the investigation," the statement said. "While we believe that not all team members are active participants in this chat we will be suspending all team activities.

"This incident serves as an important reminder for students and families to review their use of social media and cell phones and to reinforce that racist, biased or inappropriate language will be addressed with discipline and restorative sanctions.

"We must continue to strive toward creating a respectful community in which everyone belongs."

Just hours earlier at Monday's School Committee meeting, Superintendent Lisa Dana talked about the toll that accusations of racist and homophobic hazing within the 2019-2020 boys hockey program had taken on "students, staff and me, as well as a community as a whole" in her first extensive public statement on the hockey incidents since details of the charges became public and some parents and members of the School Committee called for her to be placed on leave last month.

"As the superintendent, I understand attacks are going to come my way, and — right or wrong — I've tried to shield my team from them while also making changes," she said. "For the protection of my own mental health, I quickly had to learn not to look at the social media comments, while at the same time take a critical look at how the situation was handled.

"As a result, I have actively worked to be more transparent in communicating all the work that is being done to make positive changes. But as is often said talk doesn't matter unless it is backed up with action."

(READ: Danvers Hockey Hazing 'Firestorm' Has Taken Toll: Superintendent)

Danvers school officials have repeated during the hockey investigations and fallout that privacy laws prevented them from sharing details of the accusations and discipline taken within the hockey program toward both students and coaches.

But the district appeared to be much more forthcoming on the latest incident Tuesday.

Officials said students will be disciplined, along with any staff responsible for allowing the wrestlers to access the space where the confrontation took place prior to practice.

While Danvers schools have been the scene of multiple charges of racism, homophobia and antisemitism — including two incidents in recent weeks where swastikas were found in bathroom graffiti at the Holten Richmond Middle School — it is not the only North Shore community dealing with similar accusations.

Last week, Peabody school officials said an investigation into high school football player locker room behavior on a video that circulated among students on social media determined that the behavior violated student and athletic code as students engaged in simulated sex acts, while clothed, and voices could be heard using homophobic and racial slurs on the video.

Danvers High principal Adam Federico, who is in his first full year at the school, cited the "progress" the school had made during student and lightly attended parents diversity, equity and inclusion meetings this fall, highlighting a forthcoming anonymous reporting form for cases of racism and hazing as a "good example of the work we are trying to do within our school."

"I do see progress," Federico told the School Committee. "I see a school that's striving to be a better place. I think students want that and are motivated by it. We're working with families to gain their support as well.

"This is a priority. Ensuring that everyone feels safe in the classroom allows for learning to happen. Ultimately, it will pay off."

Federico allowed the district's programs may not prevent all incidents of racism, homophobia, antisemitism and hazing, but will help ensure a prompt response when incidents occur.

"You would love to say nothing's ever going to happen again that's going to be troubling," he said. "I don't know that we can make that promise. But I think what I've learned in this situation is that we can be better in our response."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)

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