School Board Apologizes For Controversial Play In Hamden

HAMDEN, CT — The Hamden Board of Education apologized Monday for a controversial fifth-grade play that cast two students of color as slaves, resulting in the teacher being placed on administrative leave and parents calling for change within the school district.

Carmen and Joshua Parker were outraged when their 10-year-old biracial daughter was recently cast as a slave in a school play at West Woods Elementary School about the triangular slave trade. The teacher, who canceled the play, was placed on administrative leave, however, Carmen Parker has said blaming the teacher isn't the solution and is calling on the district to require diversity training for educators.

In a joint statement, the board apologized for the “insensitive, inappropriate, and offensive” play, which they said is not and “never has been” part of the district’s curriculum.

Carmen and Joshua Parker, along with their supporters, spoke outside Hamden’s Town Hall on Monday night and also addressed town leaders, according to NBC Connecticut.

Hamden Mayor Curt Balzano Leng also announced Monday night that he was assembling a Hamden Equity and Inclusivity Task Force to tackle diversity issues.

Read the Board of Education’s full statement below:

On January 21, 2020, one of our fifth-grade teachers introduced her students to a play about the triangular slave trade. This was insensitive, inappropriate, and offensive. This play is not, and never has been part of our district’s curriculum.

Upon being contacted by a student’s parent, the play activity was cancelled.

We are very sorry. This incident has been very painful for members of our school and town-wide community.

The district and school administration have expressed their deep regret that this non-Hamden Public Schools approved play was introduced to students.

In addition, the administration has been facilitating communication among the parties involved and is conducting all the appropriate investigations.

In Hamden, we are proud of our diversity and believe this makes us a stronger community. In the past few years, Hamden Public Schools has placed significant emphasis on increasing the diversity of our curricular materials. We remain engaged in a major initiative to help staff and students develop a greater understanding of issues related to cultural sensitivity and equity. Last Spring, the Board of Education created an Equity Committee to supervise these efforts and keep the community involved and informed.

However, this incident reveals that we need to do more. We appreciate and welcome the constructive public input that has been expressed. We agree that we need to continue delivering training to our staff and develop inclusive curriculum that is culturally sensitive and reflects our diversity. For this reason, the Board of Education has asked the Superintendent to immediately start taking steps to assemble and establish an advisory committee to assess, develop, and implement culturally sensitive and inclusive curriculum.

Our district remains committed to this work. We will continue to build bridges. We will continue to engage in this dialogue. We will continue to listen and collaborate with our community to find constructive solutions and heal together.