In the wake of the Nantucket High School student newspaper Veritas publishing a front page story on incidents of hate speech going unreported and unpunished, the school administration is reaching out to students and families to clarify its process for addressing issues of hate speech, harassment, hazing and bullying.
The story, written by Veritas editor-in-chief Sarah Swenson, describes recent incidents of hateful graffiti messages scrawled in school bathrooms, including racist and homophobic slurs, as well as swastikas. Current and former students quoted in the story said they felt the school had failed to adequately address the incidents in a meaningful way.
In a statement issued to parents and students reflecting on the Veritas article, Nantucket High School principal Mandy Vasil said “We recognize that acts of hate speech, harassment, hazing, and bullying have been an ongoing issue. It is our administrative goal not only to strive to stop acts of this nature but also to educate staff, students, and parents to inform them of the damaging effects such behavior has to our school community. We implore you to support our efforts by reporting any acts of hate speech, harassment, hazing, or bullying to administration or a trusted adult who will then make an official report.”
In an interview with Nantucket Current, Vasil and assistant principal Jennifer Psaradelis said there had been one known incident of a homophobic slur found etched in a bathroom discovered this school year, and the other incidents described in the article had occurred in prior years.
“I went to high school here and seeing things on the wall, these are age-old issues, but we want to educate people about reporting and we don’t want kids to become desensitized to these things,” Psaradelis said. “That’s why we’re hearing more about this: kids are saying that’s not ok. I’m proud of our kids who are bringing these things forward. Just because this happened before, we don’t have to put up with it. While we can’t do anything about what we don’t know,we want to create a culture where students are feeling comfortable bringing things forward and reporting them and we do that by responding with immediacy and urgency and educating kids and saying this is not ok, you deserve to come here and feel safe.”
Read the full Veritas story by clicking here.
Read NHS Principal Mandy Vasil’s full statement to parents and students below:
In reflection to the recent Veritas article “Hate Speech at NHS…”, we are encouraging students, parents, and guardians to report incidents of hate speech, harassment, hazing, or bullying to the administration. This behavior will not be tolerated at Nantucket High School or within the Nantucket Public Schools. We recognize that acts of hate speech, harassment, hazing, and bullying have been an ongoing issue. It is our administrative goal not only to strive to stop acts of this nature but also to educate staff, students, and parents to inform them of the damaging effects such behavior has to our school community.
We implore you to support our efforts by reporting any acts of hate speech, harassment, hazing, or bullying to administration or a trusted adult who will then make an official report. Once reported, the following course of action will ensue:
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A report is filed with the administration.
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Information is recorded to include names of perpetrators, description of offense, witnesses, location, and timeframe.
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Parents/guardians of students involved will be informed of the situation and the pending investigation.
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An investigation will take place to include interviewing witnesses, checking surveillance cameras and a thorough review of the information reported.
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Confidentiality will be maintained during the investigation process.
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Administration will maintain a written record of the investigation.
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Administration will promptly notify student(s) and their parent/guardian(s) of the outcome of the investigation and any actions taken as a result of the report to ensure the safety and well-being of the students involved and the school community as a whole.
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Retaliation against a person who makes a report of acts of hate speech, harassment, hazing, or bullying or against a student who provides information during an investigation is strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated.
We believe it is unfortunate that students who have been victimized by acts of hate speech, harassment, hazing, or bullying have also been silenced by the belief that they had no course of action. This is the culture that we are striving to change and improve. As a team, we support student voice in all aspects of the school community to include academics, athletics, extra-curricular activities, and specifically the emotional well being for all members, students and staff.
Your support will be essential as we work towards a more positive, welcoming, accepting, and inclusive school environment. This starts with a report, leading to conversations, investigations, and education in providing a safe learning environment. We view minimizing or expunging acts of hate speech, harassment, hazing, and bullying as a community effort and appreciate all support for our school’s stakeholders.
