The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta charter school investigating racist disruption to Zoom meeting
An Atlanta charter school condemned a “racist disruption” that forced the school to end a virtual parent meeting this week.
Charles R. Drew Charter School’s head of school, Peter McKnight, told parents in a letter the school is investigating the Tuesday night incident, which took place during an online Zoom meeting for parents of incoming ninth graders.
During the meeting “there were several racial outbursts,” including use of a racial epithet from “unidentified participants,” McKnight wrote. He said the disruptions prompted the school to “abruptly end” the meeting.
“Drew administrators and staff are totally devastated by what occurred during this meeting,” he wrote in a letter the school provided to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “As I have said before, Drew Charter School will not toler- ate racism of any kind, and we will continue to weed it out as it presents itself. As infu- riating and disheartening as this is, nothing will shake our unwavering commitment to and affirmation of Drew’s black students, staff, and families.”
The school’s investigation to determine the identity of those who disrupted the meeting is ongoing. McKnight said the school has added new, protective measures for Zoom meetings hosted by the school.
Similar disruptions and so-called “Zoom-bombings” have been reported nationwide in recent months as schools and organizations moved meetings and classes online during coronavirus closures.
Drew Charter School has recently emphasized its commitment to social justice and equity. On June 5, the school hosted a demonstration in which hundreds of people stood and knelt on the sidewalk near the school in honor of George Floyd, who was killed in Minneapolis while in police custody.