Racist Social Media Post By South Windsor Student Investigated

SOUTH WINDSOR, CT — An investigation has been launched by school officials into racist comments and imagery posted on the social media account of a South Windsor High School student.

Principal Frank Rizzuto has launched a formal investigation into the matter, according to a letter to the school community from Superintendent of Schools Kate Carter.

In her letter, sent Wednesday, Carter wrote:

As your superintendent of schools, I am proud to be here among so many current and former students who are committed to fighting racial injustice, to dismantling racism, and to working together to bring about change. I stand here today to be in solidarity, but equally important, to be an active listener.

When I watched the video of the brutal killing of George Floyd, I watched with anguish,
heartbreak, anger, and sadness; but not with disbelief. We have witnessed brutality against
black lives too many times for us to watch in disbelief, but rather with profound sorrow over the familiarity and frequency of such injustice. And when I watched peaceful protesters beaten, dragged and immersed in clouds of gas, I became overwhelmed with a feeling of helplessness and struggled to feel hopeful for the future - but I know we must not abandon hope. And the commitment of our community seen here today fuels that hope.

As a white woman who has had the winds of white privilege at her back for 50 years, I cannot know what it means to be black in America. But as an ally, I can stand with the Black Lives Matter movement, and as a leader, I can be more intentional, insistent and unrelenting to ensure a culture of anti-racism within our schools. We must view our curriculum, textbooks, hiring practices, discipline policies, teaching strategies, access to rigorous course work, all through a lens of equity and anti-racism. There is much work to do, but I and others are committed to this work and will respond to this national call for action.

Last Sunday I wrote to our community to share my response to this call to action which was a one-word answer in order to be swift, clear, and unequivocal: Yes.

Let me be clear and unequivocal again today. The South Windsor School System stands with
Black Lives Matter and will respond to this call to action.