Wellesley Superintendent On Racist Email Sent To Teacher

WELLESLEY, MA — Last Friday, Wellesley High School Principal Jamie Chisum announced a racist email was sent to a teacher at the school. In an email to the community, Superintendent David Lussier said Thursday that the school will not treat this as an isolated incident, and the entire community has work to do to make sure incidents like this don't happen in the future.

In an email to families, Chisum said the teacher received an anonymous email, which used "racist tones, language, and repulsive terms that were highly insulting."Chisum told the Wellesley Townsman the teacher was “shocked and hurt” by the email. The teacher shared it with the department head, who then brought it to Chisum's attention. Lussier and other school officials launched an investigation.

In an email to the community on Thursday, Lussier said:

Late last week, I learned the disappointing news from Dr. Chisum that an African American teacher at Wellesley High School had received an anonymous email containing racist and inappropriate language. The high school quickly launched an investigation and informed the school community of what had transpired.

I share the frustration and anger of students, staff, and parents when I consider the impact that such a violation of our core values has on our perceptions of safety and inclusiveness within our schools. While I do not believe this incident is representative of our community as a whole, when I consider other incidents that have occurred in recent years, I also believe we cannot treat this as an isolated occurrence.

In short, we have work to do as a WPS community and as a town to help ensure that our schools are places where everyone feels safe and supported to succeed. In particular, our work around diversity, equity, and inclusion will remain a high priority in WPS. The support of our many community allies will be essential to these efforts as we all work together to support an environment defined by our core values each and every day.