Racist Letters Mailed To 3 Evanston Schools: Administrators

EVANSTON, IL — Police and school officials say they are investigating who has been sending racist letters to Evanston schools over the past several weeks. Administrators in Evanston/Skokie School District 65 told parents Friday three schools have received identical letters.

"White N-Word Matter," all three letters said, according to a note to parents from Phil Ehrhardt and Heidi Wennstrom, the district's co-interim superintendents. They were sent to Kingley Elementary, Park School and the Joseph E. Hill Education Center. The most recent was received Thursday, the administrators said

"These are clear acts of racism and this offensive and extremely hateful language has no place in our schools," Ehrhardt and Wennstrom said. "In District 65, we will not tolerate anything less than kindness and respect for all members of our community."

These are not the first racist messages to be sent to members of the District 65 community, according to the superintendents. In response, they said educators developed a protocol for responding to racism, discriminatory language and hateful acts during the 2018-19 school year with input from administrators and families.

The district is also working on an initiative "to equip staff with tools and resources related to use of the N-Word and the power of language," the superintendents said. All schools will take part in a "dedicated professional learning opportunity" on the topic with G. Kwesi Logan's Evanston-based Logan Consulting at some point during the current school year.

The administrators said the incidents have been reported to the Evanston Police Department. They asked anyone with information about who sent the letters to contact police at 847-866-5050. Citing an ongoing investigation, police declined to say when the letters were received, where they were mailed from, whether they included return addresses or whether they were handwritten.

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School officials also contacted the local chapters of the Anti-Defamation League and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to seek support and guidance, according to the superintendents.

Community members seeking to engage with the anti-racism efforts more deeply can also take part in activities through the parent-led Next Steps Evanston initiative, the administrators suggested.

"In District 65, we are and will continue to be committed to anti-racism, equity, respect, inclusion, and the continuous development of a school system that will allow all students, staff, families and community members to feel safe and affirmed," the administrators said.