Officials unveil plan to address hate after school incidents
DARIEN — Parents and officials continued to condemn the incidents of discrimination recently reported at the local high school, though some said this was just an escalation of behavior that has been happening at the school for some time.
Several speakers at the school board meeting said they have heard of other incidents, particularly toward students who identify as LGBTQ.
Tiffany O’Connor, who served as a co-chair for the high school’s parent association last year, said they hosted a number of coffees, including one for parents of LGBTQ students.
“It was heartbreaking to hear about one discriminating act after another — acts of bullying discrimination, hate in the high school cafeteria, hallways and especially after practices and athletic competition events — but never when parents or coaches were nearby,” she said.
The comments came days after school officials announced an antisemitic comment was posted to social media and graffiti found in a high school boys’ bathroom that objectified women and threatened those who identify as gay.
A statement was released Sept. 24 denouncing the incidents from First Selectwoman Jayme Stevenson, Board of Education Chair David Dineen, Superintendent of Schools Alan Addley and Police Chief Donald Anderson.
Dineen and Addley spoke about it further at the Sept. 28 school board meeting, including detailing the district’s approach to addressing the incidents, but several school board members said not enough was done in the immediate aftermath to address it with students.
“The message to those involved remains unequivocally that there is no place for vandalism, sentiments of hate, bigotry, antisemitism, or hate of any kind in our schools or greater community,” Addley said.
He said the district is addressing it both immediately and in the long-term with its strategic plan.
The district has already reached out to groups it has worked with in the past, including the AntiDefamation League and the National Conference for Community and Justice, about educational programming. Addley said they’re looking at various frameworks for the different grades and schools.
“We’re not just going to jump aboard one of these without serious reflection and contemplation, because that would be a mistake,” he said. “Doing one-time things isn’t going to work.”
School officials are also meeting with the school climate committee and student leaders of different organizations and teams to develop something for the next advisee and adviser program.
“For the immediacy at the high school, we’re working with the climate committee and the students to have a voice in this for a planning of a response to the full school body we thought was the most thoughtful way and engaging way to respond now,” Addley said.
Dineen said while challenging and disappointing, he knows school officials, community leaders and parents are committed to developing the right plan while serving as role models for students.
“We must continue to listen, learn, talk and provide guidance,” he said. “We must educate on diversity, prejudice and inclusion and treat all people how we would like to be treated as individuals.”
He also asked people use caution regarding these incidents and social media because children and families are involved.
“We always look out for the social and emotional needs of our students, teachers, administration and families every day,” Dineen said. “We will continue to work through this and we will get this done together.”
Addley said the issues are complex and extend beyond the schools. The district is reaching out to groups in the greater community for assistance and partnership so they can re-engage at the town level and have “a collective voice around these issues.”
He also asked parents to speak about diversity and tolerance with their children and to lead by example.
Some parents called on more involvement from parents and students to address the issues, as well as more work on addressing it in the classroom.
“I’ve learned through professionals that education, particularly through curriculum, is very effective in fostering a culture of acceptance, inclusivity and respect,” O’Connor said.
One parent suggested having meetings with students and parents, and having people sign a contract committing them to following a code of conduct.
Parent Julie Punishill called for the new diversity, equity and inclusion work be expedited.
“Last week’s vandalism just happened to be the most recent incident to be reported,” she told the board.