'We Must Do Better,' Tosa School District Says Of Racist Letters

WAUWATOSA, WI— The Wauwatosa School District sent a message to families and students regarding the letters from a group calling itself "Whites of Wauwatosa" and also the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha.

The following is the statement from the Wauwatosa School District.

"There have been various news reports and social media postings about this letter - as well as the recent shooting of yet another unarmed Black man, Jacob Blake, in Kenosha. These events deepen the hurt, outrage and frustration felt by many in our community and adversely impact efforts to build healthy and thriving relationships in our neighborhoods. The statements in the letter are abhorrent and have no place in our community - one that values and cherishes the diversity and range of identities that serve to strengthen our bonds and move us closer to who and what we aspire to be.

Let us be clear: The Wauwatosa School District vehemently opposes and denounces the messages in the letter, and the harm this group intends to cause. Silence deepens trauma, and we will not allow these acts of racism go unaddressed.

Black Lives Matter.
Black Lives Matter in Wauwatosa.
Black Lives Matter in Wauwatosa Schools.

We recognize that we have a tremendous amount of work to do to heal and strengthen our communities - both locally and across the globe. The Wauwatosa School District is committed to that healing and, in partnership with all of our families and community members, we will ensure this work meets our students’ needs and expectations. We are deeply committed to affirm and advance our equity plan, and enhance our efforts to serve as a learning community that is both anti-racist and healing-centered.

As our students return to school next week - either in person or online - we are committed to engaging in purposeful learning and dialogue, shared leadership, and action that serves to ensure a sense of community and belonging for all students - including those who are Black, Brown, Asian and/or Pacific Islander, Latinx, and Indigenous, students who are differently abled, students who experience poverty, students of different religious faiths, students of different gender and sexual identities, students who are culturally and linguistically diverse, and their intersections.

We must do better. To not do so would be a dereliction of duty as educators and leaders. From our bus drivers to our classroom teachers, from our playground supervisors to our crossing guards, we are committed - at every level - to ensuring the physical and emotional safety of each and every child. This is our top priority - now and in the future.

We are proud of our community members who have reported these acts of racism, and we adamantly support the continued work of our community to call out, expose, and oppose both covert and overt acts of racism. Our students, staff and families deserve this focus and commitment from each of us."

Blake, 29, was shot several times in August by Kenosha police during the course of a domestic dispute on the city's north side.

According to the Wisconsin Department Of Justice, Blake admitted that he had a knife at the time of the police call. Authorities recovered a knife from the driver's side floor board of Blake's vehicle, the DOJ said, while also noting that officers did not find any additional weapons. Wisconsin Patch has requested the DOJ to provide a more detailed description of the knife, including the length, type and a photograph from the scene.

On August 26, a letter with racist language was sent to four Wauwatosa residents. According to a police report, a week before the letters, four residents put up a yard sign that read, "For Sale, Unless Politicians Keep Tosa Safe (Paid for by Tosa Taxpayers fed up with Mayor and City Council)."

The letter stated in part, "We Whites must stand together. We must keep Wauwatosa free from blacks and their lack of morels. We must keep blacks from destroying our property, raping our wives and daughters, and recruiting our children into street gangs."