Parents, District Respond To Use Of 'N-Word' At Newton School

NEWTON, MA — Students at Newton North are planning to rally Friday at the school after social media posts circulated about students using a racial epithet in school and on social media throughout the past few weeks. In the meantime, the school and the district are looking at ways to address the issue district wide.

"As noted in our handbook, the use of the N-word has severe consequences, up to and including suspension," North Principal Henry Turner said in an email dated Feb. 3 to families.

Turner said school officials met with members of the student organization Black Leadership Advisory Council and were working to figure out next steps.

"It was disturbing to me that it appears that many of the students are desensitized and feel it's really no big deal," Former School Committee member Angela Pitter told school committee members this week, and called for an update to the district rules and procedures.

A former Newton Schools parent, and FORJ member, said she was in a meeting last week, where Turner addressed the use of the N-word, as well as instances where some students of Asian descent had been recipients of racial slurs.

"There is no way we can expect our students of color to go into their classrooms and to be fully attentive when they are being assaulted by such vitriolic and violent language," Lisa Bibuld told the committee "When we are looking at the achievement gaps, and we are looking at why students of color may be underachieving we cannot forget the context in which they're learning. And my concern as a psychologist is the psychological well-being of our students."

The school committee was looped in ahead of the letter, according to School Committee members, per procedure. Since the letter has gone out, the school has been working on talking with students about it. There were 10 minutes set aside during homeroom for discussion on it, but that's been criticized by some, as too little time to address and really discuss such a delicate topic.

Parents showed up at the School Committee in an effort to raise awareness that this was not just a one off, and that students often don't feel comfortable reporting when someone uses racial epithets.

"That was good for me, because it really highlighted for me the entire school community we have to do more to address the racial undertone side," said School Committee Vice Chairperson Bridget Ray-Canada.

Although Newton is likely not alone when it comes to incidents like this, the current political climate of the country doesn't help, said Ray-Canada.

"In Newton, we try the best to address those issues with students as well as making sure the students of color or the African American students and black students feel safe," she said. "I was a little taken aback that the students don't always report these incidents, because they feel like nothing will be done."

That's the next step, she said. The district need to look into what steps to take to ensure that incidents are being reported and that students feel supported district wide.

"This as an incident that happened at Newton North, but what we are finding from parents speaking out is that this is something that is happening across the district, not just at the High School level, that needs to be addressed."

Canada-Ray said what would help the district's efforts is for parents to think about talking to their children about race and empathy - for all people.

"We all need to, as parents, really help our children empathize with others, and help them understand that some of these words, are hurtful and it's not appropriate," she said. "It's not free speech when you do things that are hurtful to others."

The emails from Principal Turner:

Feb 3:

Dear Newton North community,
Over the past few weeks, we have learned that several North students have been sharing social media posts of individuals using the N-word. Additionally, we have received reports of students using this word in the hallways as well. These incidents have been or are being investigated and responded to in accordance with the discipline procedures outlined in our Student Handbook. As noted in our handbook, the use of the N-word has severe consequences, up to and including suspension.
The use of this word is racist, unacceptable, and will not be tolerated. Any language that racially targets and threatens the emotional safety of anyone in our school community violates our values. Teachers will remind all students of these values in homeroom class on Tuesday.
After school today, Vice Principal Amy Winston and I met with students from our student organization Black Leadership Advisory Council, along with their advisors Pam Pistner and Elvin Cardona. Understandably, all of us in the room expressed feelings of hurt and anger from the impact of these incidents. We recognize that student voices are critical in improving our school culture and climate and we will continue to hold ongoing conversations with this Council to discuss how we can best support all of our students and respond appropriately if/when such unfortunate situations occur.
As a school community, we have taken steps to proactively address and minimize hatred and racism, including, but not limited to, our anti-bias days and our cultural days. We also work in collaboration with our Office of Human Rights, Families Organizing for Racial Justice (FORJ), our Leadership for a Diverse Society class and other groups to strengthen our work to ensure that Newton North is an inclusive and respectful community for all its members. Students can always speak with any adult if they learn of any incident of bias, hate or discrimination.
These incidents are a stark reminder that while we have done a lot of work as a school and district addressing issues of race, we will need a community effort to make meaningful progress.
Please join us standing up against discriminatory or bigoted language at North and promoting an inclusive and respectful community. If you would like to participate in the Newton North FORJ, please go to the following link to sign up https://forjnewton.com/
Thank you for your understanding and support,
Henry J. Turner, Ed.D

Feb 11:

Dear Newton North Community,
Since my email to you, last Monday (February 3rd) Newton North has been responding to the N word incidents.

• Teachers engaged with their homerooms about the use of this word and many classes have continued the discussion of hate speech in their classrooms.
• Our deans and counselors have been busy addressing these incidents with the students involved and supporting students who were hurt by these incidents.
• On Thursday our Professional Development was a continuation of our focus on Culturally Responsive Instruction and how we can strengthen our diverse learning community by improving relationships with all students.
• Our students have also been at work and are planning to respond in many ways.

I am so proud of the collaboration between the NNHS Graphic Arts program and BLAC for developing this powerful and creative advertisement for Black History Month and NNHS Black Culture Day on February 28th.
I am also grateful for having such a robust parent support organization with NNHS Families Organizing for Racial Justice (FORJ). NNHS FORJ asked me to share the below message with you.

Also, I will be in touch tomorrow regarding student action towards these incidents.
----
Dear Newton North Community,
At a recent NNHS Families Organizing for Racial Justice (FORJ) meeting, parents, grandparents, and other community members met with Principal Turner and a committed group of teachers and faculty. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss ongoing efforts to reduce bias and strengthen inclusion and racial equity at Newton North and how these efforts could be supported by the broader community. This discussion included the actions taken in response to recent incidents involving the use of the N word on social media.
One central theme of the evening was the need to equip parents and other caretakers with the knowledge, tools, and encouragement necessary to encourage meaningful conversations with teens. This is a critical time for teens as they are developing their value systems and also are often in a position of influencing their peers.
We know these conversations can be challenging. Talking about race and racism can present uneasiness, with many of us feeling like we do not have the skills, knowledge, and confidence to have these conversations. To raise our collective impact, FORJ is initiating a focused effort to support parents and other caretakers.
This spring we will host a forum to bring together parents and experts to discuss effective approaches for addressing racism and supporting the diverse, inclusive, and equitable community we desire. In addition to in-person events, we will also be enhancing our online presence with a FORJ dedicated page on the NNHS website to provide resources and additional ways to connect with these efforts.
We encourage everyone to be on the lookout for these events and to review the following options as a way to get started.
Have a few minutes to spare right now?
View this short video in which Ta-Nehisi Coates provides an engaging explanation of words that do not belong to everyone. Your teens are likely to connect with this too. https://youtu.be/QO15S3WC9pg
Looking for your next podcast?
Seeing White is well worth your time. https://www.sceneonradio.org/seeing-white/
Want a whole lot more?
Debby Irving, a local racial justice educator, and writer has a broad range of books, blogs, podcasts, and more. Follow this link for parent and educator resources: https://debbyirving.com/for-educators-and-parents/
Those who enjoy a bit more structure should consider the 21-day challenge. https://dev.debbyirving.com/21-day-challenge/
Looking for an in-person experience?
Consider attending one of the next NNHS FORJ meetings. The next three meetings are from 6:30-8:30pm in the NNHS International Café on March 3rd, April 6th, and May 7th . You can contact us for more information about our meetings and how to get involved at: nnhsforj@gmail.com
The Citywide FORJ group is also a rich resource. Find out more at www.forjnewton.org or on FORJ’s Facebook page: FORJ - Families Organizing for Racial Justice, Newton MA
We look forward to engaging with you further and welcome your comments and suggestions. Racism diminishes us all, and together we can create a brighter future.
NNHS FORJ

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).