Earlier this month, a racist incident in the Wayland (Mass.) High School locker room prompted demonstrations from parents and students to show support for the student-athlete who was a victim of the hate crime.
According to CBS News, a plastic “children at play” sign, wearing the football jersey of a Black student-athlete, had been hung from the locker room ceiling with a belt around its neck.
Principal Allyson Mizoguchi confirmed that the students responsible for the racist, hateful display had been identified and an investigation was ongoing.
At a community meeting regarding the incident on Monday, the targeted student-athlete’s mother spoke out. “I just want justice for my son. He deserves justice," she said. "It's devastating and heart-wrenching to know that my son is enduring pain from the incident, and they will be returning to school in a week.”
School administrators confirmed with CBS News that the students involved in the recent incident are being “held accountable for their actions” in accordance with the school’s nondiscrimination protocol, but the administrators could not release the specific disciplinary actions nor the students’ identities.
The recent hate incident is not the first time that Wayland Public Schools have confronted racism. In 2022, racist graffiti targeting specific school district employees was found near the high school property.
Parents and students also gathered outside the school this month with signs advocating kindness, compassion, and an end to racism and hate.
