Here we go again: Racist note in school restroom — which led to campus protest — reportedly written by student of color
Yet another racist note was discovered in a school earlier this month — this time in a restroom in Our Lady of Mercy School for Young Women in upstate New York, a private, all-girls Catholic school serving students in grades 6 through 12.
And yet again, a student of color reportedly wrote the racist sentiment — which included the N-word.
What are the details?
The graffiti — which read "This school is filled with a bunch of [N-word]. Get out or else!!" — was discovered in a school restroom March 7, WHEC-TV reported.
Students sent a message to Primetime585 — the social media handle of Karen Iglesia, who chronicles local sports and knows many high school athletes, the station said.
Iglesia shared an image of the graffiti on Twitter and added: "My inbox was flooded today from @OLM_HS girls. This note was written in the bathroom, and they had issues on how the administration dealt w/ it. They (many athletes — all WHITE) begged me to post it because they were so upset at how trivial the school made it."
WHEC said students protested outside of the school on the morning of March 8.
Well, by March 10 the school announced that an investigation into the incident culminated with a student coming forward and taking responsibility for writing the racist message, the station said.
And while the school said maximum disciplinary action has been taken, the powers that be didn't name the culprit, WHEC said. But unlike other schools that have faced similar situations, it's apparently not saying anything about the student's race.
What did the school have to say?
The school sent the following statement to Rochester media, the station said:
"Our Lady of Mercy School for Young Women has concluded our thorough investigation into the racist graffiti incident that was brought to our attention early Monday morning. The investigation was led by the Brighton Police Department with full cooperation of Mercy administration and faculty. During the investigative process, one of our students confessed to writing the graffiti in the girls bathroom. For legal reasons, and in accordance with Mercy’s confidentiality practices, the student will not be identified. Mercy has zero tolerance for this kind of behavior; appropriate and maximum disciplinary action has been taken.
"Even though closure has come to this single incident, there is so much more work to do to understand what people are feeling and fearing. Our students and our community are distressed and hurt; Mercy will work to help heal the wounds caused by this incident, as well as help heal deep-rooted, related feelings this incident has brought to the surface. Consistent with the Critical Concerns of the Sisters of Mercy, we are planning events and initiatives in the coming weeks to recognize and acknowledge the powerful emotions that are present within our community. We are a compassionate institution, built on a foundation of faith, hope, and love and made strong by the resilience of our students, families, faculty, staff, and everyone within the Circle of Mercy. The road ahead will not be easy, but our love for each other and our school will light the way."
Brighton Police Chief David Catholdi added to WHEC that "we have shared the results of our investigation with OLM. They have decided to handle the matter internally and not pursue criminal charges. Therefore, we will not further identify the person."
But that ain't all
Bob Lonsberry — a radio talk-show host for stations in Rochester and Syracuse — tweeted on March 11 that "four sources, including two in government, have confirmed that the N-word graffiti found in a Mercy High School bathroom wall, and which led to upset and a protest, was written by an African-American student."
A number of users who commented on Lonsberry's tweet weren't surprised; one of them asked, "Isn't it wonderful that we live in a country so bereft of actual racism that it needs to be invented?"
However, Igelsia also replied to Lonsberry's tweet and said his information is inaccurate — but not in the way you might be imagining.
"NOT TRUE… she is HISPANIC… " Iglesia tweeted, adding that "a Hispanic is NOT considered African American ..."
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