WESTPORT — A Black couple, joined by several other parents, stunned the Board of Education this week with accounts of how their children have repeatedly suffered racist bullying at Staples High School, Bedford Middle School and elsewhere in town.
Dr. Carol Felder, accompanied by her husband Richard Anderson, told school board members and administrators that their high school-age daughter has been targeted with racist taunts referring to her as “monkey” and the n-word.
Their middle school daughter also has been victimized by racist behavior, Felder said, including having a prop gun pointed to the back of her head during a play rehearsal and being told, “This is what happens to people your color.”
“If you asked me today, the most difficult thing that I’ve ever had to do is raise Black children in Westport, Connecticut,” an emotional Felder said, describing “heinous,” “hateful” and “unspeakable” incidents involving her children.
Felder said the racist incidents are not isolated, but chronic. The school district’s anti-bullying policy does not work, she said.
“This is not just a Board of Education problem … It’s a Westport, Connecticut problem,” Felder added.
Several other speakers told the board about similar incidents of bias they and their children have suffered.
On Friday, First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker responded to the parents’ reports of racism and bias.
Following is Tooker’s statement:
“Every time I speak publicly, even as recently as last week at the State of the Town address, I state that one of my top priorities is to ensure Westport is a place where everyone feels like they belong — where people feel safe and seen and heard. I regularly acknowledge that we have more work to do as a community.
“It is with shock and disappointment that I listen to the devastating comments made by parents at the Board of Education meeting this week.
“I want the residents and business owners to know there is no place for any form of hate in Westport. There is no place for racism in Westport. Our community strongly rejects hate in all forms.
“We must all stand together and speak clearly and unequivocally on this issue. We should demand accountability.
“Westport has my unwavering commitment to continue to work with local leaders, including TEAM Westport and the school administration, to create a supportive environment where we, as Superintendent Tom Scarice said, treat each other with dignity and respect.
“We all want to feel like we belong. Every one of us deserves to feel valued. When one of us is harmed, we are all harmed.”
I don’t know if reading this makes me more disappointed or angry. Are you really shocked that these things are happening? You want us to know that there is no room for it however the BOE had a room with parents who are telling you it is happening in your town. I sat with Tom and asked if staff was trained in PTSD and he stated “no”. What is happening to these children is traumatic. So if you don’t even have staff who understand and are trained how do you expect to make a difference? If you have administration that can smirk in my face that he worked “so hard” and “so many hours” to get to the bottom of an investigation as if I should thank him like he did this amazing task well that is where the problem is. The same man who looked me in my face and asked to apologize and say sorry to my son that the school has to do better. See the thing is Selectwoman I don’t take a sorry and my son won’t either.
The only members who have made a difference is the Principal at Long Lots and my sons teacher. My son leaves school happy and knowing his teachers care about him. Maybe they can teach the board how to get things done.
I stand with the Anderson’s and every other family going through this.
Personally I believe that the statement: “There is no place for hate in Westport” is part of the problem because this is denial of the fact that there IS place for hate in Westport. “I believe that there should be no place for hate in Westport” would be a more accurate depiction. In a Town of 28,000+ people, it is not surprising that these do, and will, exist regardless of degrees of wealth and education.
Unless the Town leadership admits that hatred, prejudice, bias, and intimidation DOES exist in our town, WILL exist, and HAS a home here (hopefully a small one), effectively dealing with it will never occur. Aspirations are marvelous – but platitudes do not depict the reality many have/are experiencing and forced to endure.
As others have stated, how instances are identified and summarily dealt with when they do occur is the true measure of the seriousness of our leadership. We cannot control how all others behave – we can only control how WE react with swift, determined and decisive action.
Our First Select person states: “One of my top priorities is to ensure Westport is a place where everyone feels like they belong — where people feel safe and seen and heard.” and I’m certain that in some respects she means it. However not interceding when so many felt justified to attack individuals with vitriol, cruelty and malignment in order to silence them, AND our First Select person encouraging the censorship of residents at the RTM forum (because it makes ruling the town easier), IS THE OPPOSITE of ensuring that everyone feels safe, seen and heard. You cannot have it both ways.
Our community might have a lot of work to do on this issue – however looking for others to enact the necessary changes is not leadership especially when Town leadership is partially culpable in less direct ways.
I AM NOT equating the racism and prejudice that the Felders and others have spotlighted. THAT represents a special degree of abhorrence. I AM NOT implying that our leadership is racist. That is NOT what I am stating.
However how our leadership ensures that ALL people feel equally safe and welcome to be seen and heard without intimidation is interconnected. The Freedom of Speech provision of the First Amendment is tricky. However aborting the RTM’s determination to censor the public would be a good start.
Perhaps, then, the important issue of racism and prejudice in Westport would become an important agenda item for the RTM to tackle head on with full community involvement.
Another anodyne statement which belies the fact that these incidents do take place in Westport.
Rather than reiterate that we don’t tolerate racism and/or bullying in the face of repeated incidents, it would be useful to know just what is being done to prevent it.
What are the consequences to the offenders and are they serious enough and well enough known to deter others ?
What is being done to educate the student population about race and ethnicity?
Just what is the”decisive action” that Mr. Scarice tells us is being taken in the face of each incident?
I believe that both the First Selectwoman and the Superintendent of schools mean to say and truly understand that this kind of behavior is intolerable, but having said that, I think it behooves them to tell us more about what is being done so we can consider what more might be done to deliver that message,
The superintendent has said it enough times that it is not tolerated yet here we are as parents saying it is happening. So he needs to actually do something and so do administration at the school. Instead of acting like it doesn’t exist except that it does and and if they don’t know how to deal with it get guidance on how to
Stephanie, it’s really getting old listening to you call everyone a racist. It’s kind of approaching a level of, let’s say…bullying.
I am not calling eveeyone a racist. What are you talking about?
Just in the last couple of days you called Donald Trump racist, with no evidence ,by the way and passed judgment on the kids in Westport schools as being racists as well. Are you privy to the evidence of in that case?
l doubt it. You throw accusations around very cavaliery.
If a candidate for president of the United States of America had no consequences for his racist and bullying behavior, then what? Our entire country is in danger for no consequences for bad behavior. When criminals have no consequences, when we are not permitted to reprimand children for bad behavior ( both teachers and parents) when people who claim to be so pious and act rudely… We have come uo with too many excuses as an entire society. Schools do not teach kidd TO be racist and bullies, but they can and should call out bad behaviors on all levels invluding mean girl behavior that is so rampant in our schools now. We need to not fear reprimanding bad behavior.
As for bullying in Westport schools. A great deal if it that I personally witnessed, was and probably still is based on wealth disparity. Kids can be obnoxious for a variety of reasons.
Only commenting to say that this may be the first thing Sharon has ever said that I remotely agree with. A lot of “affluenza” probably informs the bad behavior and belief that consequences of actions don’t apply to “us.”
It is easy to denounce terrible behavior. I would now love to hear Tooker and Scarice’s plans to deal with this insidious behavior.
Debi’s comment speaks for me and I would imagine many of us. Jennifer, would you please publish here on the WJ site all of Westport’s written anti-bullying, educational and disciplinary policies.
https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1649182209/westport/dklljtxzxutnodhg787m/5131911-Bullying-Final.pdf
Here is the link to the bully policy however it doesn’t specify punishment. In my case I feel admin do what they feel the punishment should be.
Tara,
Did you attend the ADL meeting at Temple Israel by chance?
Also, the public is not privy to private incidents or accustations being investigated.
I know Tom to care deeply about anti- semitism, racism, bullying, and the dangers of social media.
The learning part of racism is teaching about it. Punative measures only do not work. The kids need to learn why it is bad and the damage it does to people and society as a whole.
We must hold parents accountable.
Good afternoon,
Yes I was there. I also am aware that January last year the board spoke and that Racial slurs where being used “regularly” At Staples. So fast forward a year I am confused as to how it is someone “new” or how it is “accusations”. I agree children need to learn about racism. However it has to be taught a certain way. It is a privilege to teach something and not go through it.