Email from the middle school principal.....
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Unfortunately, I need to share with you that a one inch by one inch swastika was found in the boys bathroom today at approximately 1PM. Although I was worried about another anti-semitic incident after last week, I was hopeful that this would not happen.
Right now, I am feeling a combination of disappointment, frustration, and anger. I understand many of you must be feeling similar emotions after receiving this news. Additionally, the staff that I was able to talk with before the end of the day, were also upset by the news. The staff here is proud of their school and knows that most of our students are caring, compassionate, and kind students. Once again, teachers will be addressing this incident with students in their ASPIRE class.
Given that we do not know a time frame for when it was drawn, I believe that it will be difficult to find out who was involved in this incident. For the previous incident, we had an idea of the student involved because of timing. Given student privacy issues, we did not give details of what was written and the consequences. I understand this can be frustrating for some parents. However, students often know who are responsible for certain incidents and the names of those students may get out into to the community.
Since, I believe that we will not catch the person responsible for today’s incident, I can go into more details. Today, the swastika was found in the second floor eighth grade bathroom. A student(s) had written the swastika in pencil on the bathroom stall. It was difficult to see, so it could have been there for a day or a few minutes before it was noticed.
I also want to let everyone know the procedures of what happens when we find hate speech or symbols. I immediately call Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kathleen Bodie and our School Resource Officer Bryan White, who documents the incident. In addition, Dr. Bodie informs the Commission for Human Rights. Today, I also reached out to the Anti-Defamation League and the OMS Diversity and Inclusion Group.
I will be meeting with the staff and the Diversity and Inclusion Group tomorrow to develop a plan for how to address this latest incident. I will further update you on Friday. Please talk to your child about this incident. I want to let you know that the Ottoson is committed to be a place where hate is not tolerated.
I have no doubt their reaction to the incident last week was the cause of the incident this week.
I feel I am going to have to draft a response to this.
The incident last week pissed me off because I initially learned of it when my son told me they made all the boys go to the principals office and give a writing sample of the word "stupid". He didn't know why except for that someone had wrote something in the boys bathroom. Later I found out it was some sort of racial epithet.
This pissed me off because I know for a fact that there are very specific guidelines for "custodial" interrogations of juveniles and as far as Im concerned with the reactions these people are having to the stupid shit kids do one instance of doing something immature can ruin them for the rest of their school experience. I better be present if they are going to question him.
I need to tell them now if this is their reaction,,,,,,,,"Question my kid without me or a lawyer, the town can start shoveling money into my bank account now".
The kids are acting more mature than these assholes.
My response may have to include some history of the swastika and how the kids should be taught about it.
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Unfortunately, I need to share with you that a one inch by one inch swastika was found in the boys bathroom today at approximately 1PM. Although I was worried about another anti-semitic incident after last week, I was hopeful that this would not happen.
Right now, I am feeling a combination of disappointment, frustration, and anger. I understand many of you must be feeling similar emotions after receiving this news. Additionally, the staff that I was able to talk with before the end of the day, were also upset by the news. The staff here is proud of their school and knows that most of our students are caring, compassionate, and kind students. Once again, teachers will be addressing this incident with students in their ASPIRE class.
Given that we do not know a time frame for when it was drawn, I believe that it will be difficult to find out who was involved in this incident. For the previous incident, we had an idea of the student involved because of timing. Given student privacy issues, we did not give details of what was written and the consequences. I understand this can be frustrating for some parents. However, students often know who are responsible for certain incidents and the names of those students may get out into to the community.
Since, I believe that we will not catch the person responsible for today’s incident, I can go into more details. Today, the swastika was found in the second floor eighth grade bathroom. A student(s) had written the swastika in pencil on the bathroom stall. It was difficult to see, so it could have been there for a day or a few minutes before it was noticed.
I also want to let everyone know the procedures of what happens when we find hate speech or symbols. I immediately call Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kathleen Bodie and our School Resource Officer Bryan White, who documents the incident. In addition, Dr. Bodie informs the Commission for Human Rights. Today, I also reached out to the Anti-Defamation League and the OMS Diversity and Inclusion Group.
I will be meeting with the staff and the Diversity and Inclusion Group tomorrow to develop a plan for how to address this latest incident. I will further update you on Friday. Please talk to your child about this incident. I want to let you know that the Ottoson is committed to be a place where hate is not tolerated.
I have no doubt their reaction to the incident last week was the cause of the incident this week.
I feel I am going to have to draft a response to this.
The incident last week pissed me off because I initially learned of it when my son told me they made all the boys go to the principals office and give a writing sample of the word "stupid". He didn't know why except for that someone had wrote something in the boys bathroom. Later I found out it was some sort of racial epithet.
This pissed me off because I know for a fact that there are very specific guidelines for "custodial" interrogations of juveniles and as far as Im concerned with the reactions these people are having to the stupid shit kids do one instance of doing something immature can ruin them for the rest of their school experience. I better be present if they are going to question him.
I need to tell them now if this is their reaction,,,,,,,,"Question my kid without me or a lawyer, the town can start shoveling money into my bank account now".
The kids are acting more mature than these assholes.
My response may have to include some history of the swastika and how the kids should be taught about it.
