Needham HS Students Walk Out Over Racist, Homophobic Graffiti

NEEDHAM, MA — Hundreds of Needham High School students walked out of school Friday as part of a response to the discovery of racist and homophobic graffiti discovered in the school.

According to Needham High School Principal Aaron Sicotte, between 250 and 300 students took part in the walkout, which occurred during the lunch block. While protesting, students heard from a range of speakers who discussed the need for equality. At the end of the walkout, students walked towards the Memorial Field parking lot and around the baseball field while chanting. Students returned to class afterward and discussed the walkout, the recent graffiti, school climate, and ways to improve the high school, Sicotte wrote in a letter to parents.

"Today’s protest was a powerful display of the very skills we teach our students in the Needham Public Schools - self-advocacy; standing up for others; having respectful and civil exchanges of ideas; working collaboratively. It was also a student-driven chance to have some difficult and uncomfortable conversations about what it feels like to be a student at NHS when you are in a minority group," Sicotte wrote.

The Needham High School community this week learned of two recent incidents where graffiti including the N-word was found inside two bathrooms. Both incidents are under investigation.

Below is Sicotte's full letter:

NHS Families,

I want to provide you an update on our collective work to create a respectful and welcoming environment for all at Needham High School.

Earlier today, a group of students organized a walkout at the start of our lunch block. The goals were to make it clear that the recent graffiti was unacceptable and to push for greater equality for all at Needham High School. By our estimates between 250 and 300 students joined the protest and heard from a range of speakers who told of their experiences, read poems, chanted, and emphasized unity and the need for equality. The speakers, the signs, and the audience were all very respectful. When the speakers finished, the group marched toward the Memorial Field parking lot and around the baseball field, continuing to chant. At the end of the walkout, students returned to class where teachers engaged all of our students in conversations about the walkout, the recent graffiti, our climate overall, and how we can all work to improve NHS. Today’s protest was a powerful display of the very skills we teach our students in the Needham Public Schools - self-advocacy; standing up for others; having respectful and civil exchanges of ideas; working collaboratively. It was also a student-driven chance to have some difficult and uncomfortable conversations about what it feels like to be a student at NHS when you are in a minority group.

These in-class conversations were an opportunity to engage our entire student body. They will not be the last opportunity, though. We have much work ahead of us. That work will consist of a close partnership between the adults in the building and our students, providing opportunities for all voices to be heard. With all that has happened this week and all of the processing still being done, we are not collectively ready to decide all of the steps we will take from here. I do know there will be many steps, and they will be varied and include opportunities for everyone to take part in the work, and chances for invested students to lead. It will also be balanced between taking advantage of the tremendous expertise we have in the building (students and staff alike) and with drawing on the experience of those outside the building who may help guide our work.

We are fortunate to have exceptional students at Needham High School (and we thank you for that!). It is the rare scenario that someone strives to be offensive. It is the more common scenario that their impact is offensive when their intention was not. Those are opportunities for learning. We will continue to focus on that learning and growing. And we will continue to focus on ensuring Needham High School is a safe and respectful place for each and every one of our students.

As essential as this work is, I also want to acknowledge that it is difficult work. It can create discomfort, and uncertainty for those taking part, and for a range of reasons. We want to make sure we are doing all we can to increase people’s comfort with sharing their own experiences and thoughts and hearing the experiences and thoughts of those around them in a respectful, civil exchange. I encourage you to talk to your child about what happened at school today. We believe parents are our students first and most important teachers, and a conversation over the dinner table can be an invitation to continue the learning and growing. If you have any questions, suggestions, or feedback please let me know.

Respectfully,
Aaron Sicotte
Principal