Investigations into racism, hate winding down in Easthampton; to be released Aug. 24

By CAITLIN ASHWORTH

@kate_ashworth

Published: 08-03-2017 9:39 PM

EASTHAMPTON — Two investigations into allegations of racism, hate and harassment at Easthampton High School are winding down, with school officials prepared to release findings at a School Committee meeting later this month.

Superintendent Nancy Follansbee and the state attorney general’s office have spent the past several weeks studying the problems at the school. Additionally, the Collaborative of Educational Services, of Northampton, is compiling its own report based on data it has collected from forums and surveys held this spring.

All of the reports will be presented at the School Committee’s Aug. 24 meeting.

Alleged incidents at the high school came to light after a physical assault, sparked by a racial slur, in the school parking lot in late-March. The following day, students held a walkout to voice concerns on how the administration handles incidents of racism and hate. Some of those alleged incidents include a student holding up a Confederate flag and yelling “white power,” a poster marked with a swastika and racial slurs.

“I’ve been researching the complaints that have been put forward to the School Committee … interviewing administrators and staff, and other people who might have first-hand knowledge,” Follansbee said.

Follansbee believes the reports will help her prepare a plan to improve the climate and culture at the city’s schools and eradicate bias during the upcoming school year.

The district is in the process of creating an advisory committee which Follansbee said will be made up of parents, students, staff and administrators. She plans to have ongoing trainings and discussions for teachers, faculty and staff, as well as a training for students.

As part of that effort, middle and high school teachers, faculty and staff will go through anti-bias training Aug. 30 through the Anti-Defamation League. The workshop is a requirement, Follansbee said.

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The workshop, “A Classroom of Difference,” is part of a larger campaign dubbed “A World of Difference” which was founded in 1985 to increase public awareness of prejudice and discrimination.

Phil Fogelman, director of the World of Difference Institute of the ADL New England region, said the training will focus on recognizing bias and responding to it in an appropriate manner.

Fogelman said he has worked with hundreds of schools within the past 19 years. Many have experienced incidents similar to those at Easthampton High School, he said.

Fogelman mentioned the popular saying that many children learn: Sticks and stones can break some bones, but words will never hurt.

“We know that names do hurt,” Fogelman said. “They do not cause physical harm, but they cause mental and emotional harm.”

In addition to the workshop, ADL consultants will collaborate with school administrators to develop protocols for response to bias and review discipline protocols and procedures.

Follansbee said the School Committee reviews the student handbooks every year, making necessary revisions. She said the committee will also make sure policies and procedures are consistent throughout the district.

The issue of bias goes beyond Easthampton High School.

The ADL released a report in April that found anti-Semitic vandalism, harassment and assaults surged in Massachusetts last year. The state saw the fifth-highest number of such incidents in the country, the report finds.

For anti-Semitic bullying and vandalism incidents at schools across the country, the number of incidents reported to the ADL doubled from 114 incidents in 2015 to 235 in 2016. In the first quarter of 2017, the ADL found an 86 percent increase in anti-Semitic incidents.

“We have seen increases in racial bias and other forms of bias as well,” Fogelman said.

Caitlin Ashworth can be reached at cashworth@gazettenet.com.

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