Arlington School Officials Respond To Antisemitic Graffiti, Meme

ARLINGTON, MA — Arlington school officials on Monday responded to antisemitic graffiti and an antisemitic meme found in a bathroom at Ottoson Middle School late last week. In a joint statement, Superintendent Kathleen Bodie and Principal Brian Meringer indicated they had identified the students responsible but did not elaborate about the disciplinary measures they will face.

Meringer sent an email to parents Friday, Oct. 4 informing them of graffiti found in the boys' bathroom. The Arlington Police Department and Arlington Human Rights Commission were also notified, according to Meringer and Bodie.

On Monday, seventh-graders met in the gym during their ASPIRE class and were told about the discovery.

"School leadership emphasized to the seventh grade that hate speech is not tolerated at the Arlington Public Schools or elsewhere," the statement from Meringer and Bodie read. "It was also emphasized to students that every member of our school community has a right to be safe from derogatory remarks about race, religion and/or sexual preference and gender identity."

Eighth grade students will meet with administrators Tuesday. The middle school will next show videos of how groups have responded to hate speech.

Officials said they understand that middle school students make mistakes, and it is the "obligation" of administrators to help them learn from such incidents. However, they would also like to discourage future copycat incidents.

See the rest of the statement from Meringer and Bodie below:

"Nationally, hate crimes are on the rise and students often mirror what they see and hear outside of school. We have attached a report from the Anti-Defamation League that speaks to the increase of hate crimes. We encourage parents to have a conversation with their children about the impact of hate speech of any kind.

Finally, we will continue to strive to be a more inclusive and accepting school community.Last year, Ottoson School administrators invited Dr. Carlos Hoyt to talk to eighth grade students about the use of the ‘n-word’ before reading To Kill a Mockingbird. The school also hosted a ‘No Place for Hate’ soccer clinic run by the Chelsea Football Club, which combined soccer with classroom sessions on the dangers of anti-Semitism. A group of middle school students were empowered to raise money to paint a gender-neutral bathroom with the hope of preventing graffiti. This summer, school and district officials met with the Arlington Police and the Human Rights Commission to document procedures to respond to hate speech and bias.

At the school and district level, we are continuing our professional development on cultural competency, and examining our curriculum for opportunities to teach our students about inclusive behavior.We look toward moving forward from this incident through teaching, tolerance and understanding."