by Marty Green
In response to what school administrators called “racially divisive incidents” at the Bromfield School, the administrators are working to reassure students and parents that Harvard schools are committed to maintaining a safe environment. “These were very serious incidents that could divide a school,” Superintendent Linda Dwight told the School Committee Tuesday night.
After discussing Dwight’s report, the School Committee voted unanimously to support a statement on respecting diversity that school administrators drafted.
According to the statement, the police were informed of the incidents, as were the families of students who were involved, and “consequences were given.” The statement emphasized that “harassment or any other conduct that is antithetical to the values of our school community” would not be tolerated. The full statement appears below.
The school’s diversity committee had met earlier on Tuesday. Dwight said it was important to address students’ need to feel safe in school. “Students are hearing conversations in the world and the nation that are having negative consequences,” she said.
School Committee Chairwoman SusanMary Redinger said she appreciated the rigor with which Bromfield Principal Scott Hoffman had handled the situation. “We have an obligation not to be a follower of what is happening in our country,” Redinger said.
In a later email, Dwight wrote, “We have decided not to share specifics about the incidents. We do want families to know that Harvard is not immune to these happenings and to take our statement as a launching point to talk with their children. Together we can make a difference.
Statement from the Harvard Public Schools
The Harvard Public Schools values respect and diversity in our school community. One of our core values is to create and maintain a safe and inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff that values diversity. Recently our school district experienced some racially divisive incidents. We take all of these incidents very seriously. The police were immediately involved, families brought in, consequences were given, counseling was provided, and a diversity professional was brought in to meet with students. We do not and will not tolerate harassment or any other conduct that is antithetical to the values of our school community. Looking forward, we will continue to engage diversity professionals to work with our school community while creating opportunities for families and students to engage in activities and conversations to promote inclusivity. There is work yet to be done both in our community and across the country to eliminate racism and intolerance and we are committed to that challenge.
The District Leadership Team
The School Committee