2 Incidents Of Racial Slurs in Brophy Elementary School

FRAMINGHAM, MA- Brophy Elementary School is grappling with two incidents of "racially charged language" being used by students.

On Thursday, Principal Frank Rothwell sent a letter out to parents detailing the incidents. In the letter Rothwell writes, "On two occasions in the past two weeks, students have called other students a racial slur and used the 'n-word.'"

The students using the slur received consequences and an investigation into the incidents began, according to the letter. It is not clear exactly what punishments or consequences the students faced. The letter also states that the parents of all the involved children were notified and the school held a meeting between the students where "apologies were given and received."

Rothwell wrote in the letter that after speaking with many students he realized many do not grasp the power and history the hateful words have. "These actions suggest that while we work each day to build a culture of understanding and inclusion, we are not immune from this behavior," Rothwell wrote.

In the closing paragraphs of the letter Rothwell said the school views mistakes by students as an opportunity to teach them and urged parents and caregivers to talk to children about language choices. "As we move forward in educating our students, we will also create an intentional focus on healing and tolerance. I welcome any input from parents on how we can facilitate this process," Rothwell wrote.

Superintendent Robert Tremblay also offered input in a statement, praising Principal Rothwell and the school's handling of the situation.

"There are far too many incidents like this taking place in communities, like ours, across our country. It challenges our ideals and tests our moral values. In Framingham, we have made a commitment - as a school district - not to minimize these actions or to look away from wrongdoings. Instead, we face these issues head-on and with eyes wide open," Tremblay said. "It is not lost on us that our students feel victimized by these words and it is our responsibility to provide the proper supports to ensure they feel safe in our school community. Sadly, every community has their story and takes their turn in the headlines. We believe our classrooms and your homes - not social media conversation threads - are the best platforms in which to engage conversations around the intolerable language of hate. Together, we must continue to lean into our own discomfort and teach the language of peace and love."

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