A group of Brooklyn Park Middle School students made a “racially insensitive graphic” and posted it to social media, according to a letter sent home Wednesday to parents.
“Our investigation has revealed that the graphic was made yesterday and was shared privately but has been seen by other students and at other schools,” Principal Beth Shakan said.
The graphic was made on a school device. Shakan urged parents to talk to their children about the appropriate use of devices in a “responsible and positive manner.”
“I want to be clear that such postings have no place in our community where we seek to empower every person in our school to be successful, empathetic citizens,” Shakan said in the letter.
“As a school and school system, we simply do not tolerate bias-motivated behavior.”
Bias motivated behaviors have been on the rise since 2014. Other incidents have occurred in the fall of this school year. Northeast High students were in a video with a caption that said “we hate” and a racial slur. A swastika was drawn on the bathroom wall at South River High.
For the 2018-19 school year, the reports were at the highest with 244 in comparison to the 86 reports in 2017-18 or the 102 reports in school year 2016-17.
According to the Board of Education, bias behavior is defined as “behavior offense committed against a person or property which is motivated by the offender’s bias, a negative opinion or attitude toward a group of persons based upon their race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or ethnicity/national origin.”
Last fall, the school board voted to add an apology letter for students who take the bias motivated class.
In response, the school system is working on that additional consequence and it will be in place by the end of January, said school spokesman Bob Mosier.
