Princeton To Discuss Renaming John Witherspoon Middle School

PRINCETON, NJ — A recent Princeton High School graduate, Geoffrey Allen, recently created a petition to rename John Witherspoon Middle School, which prompted the Board of Education to schedule a public discussion on July 23.

"I feel like renaming the school will be the start of symbolic change and allow more efforts to change the school," said Allen, a 2019 graduate.

Allen launched his petition last week and has just under 1,500 signatures.

"In the midst of the ongoing support of the Black Lives Matter movement, this has created the opportune moment for John Witherspoon Middle School to rid itself of its slave-owning and anti-abolitionist namesake, John Witherspoon," Allen wrote on his petition.

Princeton BOE member Jessica Deutsch announced at the July 14 meeting that the Policy Committee will be hosting a meeting on July 23 at 8 a.m. to discuss the renaming of JW Middle School. The public is invited to attend or to submit written comments ahead of the meeting.

The purpose of the meeting is to talk about all aspects including the process of renaming the school.

Deutsch noted the Board is currently laser-focused on setting a school reopening plan but "at the same time we understand the opportunity of the moment."

"I look forward to what people have to say and the direction we are going. Not only with [Princeton] University, but the football teams are also changing names, this is the right way to go, so I am very happy," Board Member Debbie Bronfeld said. Read More: Princeton University Removes Woodrow Wilson's Name From School

Allen, a Black resident, noted that things need to change, and the conversation on racism needs to be carried on in Princeton. He hopes racial literacy can be taught in the district from elementary school on up.

"Moving into Princeton, I feel like on the outside surface people were very accepting but there were very micro experiences," Allen said. "One example of these stereotypes is that people would say, 'You are so articulate for a black man' and consider me to be very white."

Even this past week, Allen pointed to a controversial video clip shared on Snapchat of a group of white Princeton High School graduates who were seen dancing to Pop Smoke's "Dior" at a party because they were singing lyrics that included the n-word in the song.

A parent asked the Board during the July 14 meeting about disciplinary action that can be taken against the students in the video.

Interim Superintendent Barry Galasso pointed to a New Jersey School Board Association law that states "in order to discipline a student for out of district behaviour there has to be a nexus between their behaviour and any disruption in the school. In the absence of a nexus, we can not discipline the students. This is a parental matter."

For more information or to sign the petition visit click here.

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