South Orange-Maplewood Super Speaks About Racist Student Social Media Posts

South Orange, NJ – South Orange and Maplewood school officials say that there is “no place in the community” for racism.

In the wake of reports that several students in the South Orange-Maplewood School District recently made racist social media posts involving blackface and anti-semetic themes, school officials emphasized that such comments are “unacceptable.”

• See related articles: South Orange, Maplewood Students Make Racist Instagram Posts: Reports

Superintendent John Ramos issued the following statement on Sunday:

“I want to address the recent incidents of racist and anti-Semitic images and comments posted by students in our district on social media. First, I want to make it clear that we absolutely reject these images and comments. They have no place in our community. And at the same time, we recognize that this is a teachable moment.

“In essence, several students made bad choices, which were unacceptable. We are using our code of conduct and restorative practices strategies, as well as engaging community resources, to help students recognize and address the effect that their behavior has had on our school community. While we address the choices, we must remember that these are our young people, and they should not be vilified. Our job as educators is to respond to students’ bad choices with appropriate consequences and guidance, and to work to resolve what happened in such a way that our community remains whole.

“These incidents present us with a larger opportunity to deepen the long-standing commitment of our school district and our two towns to diversity, and to living and working together in an inclusive community in which every member feels safe and valued.

“The current national conversation can play to people’s biases and lower nature. It has given tacit permission for people to say whatever they want to say, no matter how offensive.”

Ramos stated that the incidents leaves the community with two main questions.

“How do we as a community respond in the face of toxic national rhetoric, and elevate the conversation to address uncomfortable issues with courage and honesty?”

And “what actions will we take as a community to make our commitments to equity and mutual respect a reality?”

To this end, Ramos stated:

“We are planning several initiatives to promote acceptance and understanding in our schools, and to help students develop greater sensitivity to cultural differences. We are also connecting with local community leaders to involve them in the process.”

The district has a three-fold plan, Ramos said:

• To support students in processing recent events, and in developing the tools to stand up to bias in the future.
• To provide teachers and other faculty with tools and professional development to both respond to bias incidents, as well as foster understanding and help students develop the courage to stand up.
• To engage in a greater community conversation that addresses bias incidents, race, culture, diversity & tolerance, and reminds us why we choose South Orange Maplewood as a place to call home.

“This is can be a defining moment for us as a community,” Ramos said. “Everyone in our community needs to feel safe and valued, and there is healing that needs to occur. We understand that celebrating diversity is not the same as embracing it. We all acknowledge that there are significant challenges that are steeped in institutions at every level. That is why this Board took the bold step of adopting the Access and Equity Policy this past fall, because it begins to address the structural ‘isms’ that exist in this community, and across our nation. And that is why our schools are engaged in restorative practices and cultural competency training.”

“This is the hard and the important work of our time,” Ramos emphasized. “It is only possible in a community like South Orange Maplewood, in which we are intentional about this work. We are confident that, together, we will emerge as a much stronger and closer community, which makes good on its promise of equity and excellence for each of its members.”

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