Officials investigating after photo surfaces of Nantucket students holding sign with ‘racial slur’
School officials are investigating after a photo circulated online of Nantucket High School students holding up a sign with “a very inappropriate racial slur,” according to Superintendent Elizabeth Hallett.
Hallett sent a letter home to families on Tuesday regarding the incident.
“In the picture, a few of our students are holding up what appears to be a very inappropriate racial slur. We are investigating this incident and have started talking to students and parents,” the letter said.
Officials didn’t clarify how many students were involved, nor did they specify what the ‘racial slur’ was or what social media platform it surfaced on.
In the letter, Hallett stressed that school officials “do not condone” or “tolerate” any form of racial slurs or racist behavior.
“While this particular incident did take place outside of school hours, we are looking into the details, as it is having a large impact on our student body,” Hallett wrote in the letter. “We will be monitoring the health and well-being of our students as our investigation continues and expect there will be reparations that are suitable to the damage caused to our school community.”
Officials are considering a student forum to allow the teens the chance to discuss the matter at a public assembly.
A student forum would allow students to process the incident and discuss our next steps to prevent future incidents of racial discrimination within our schools and beyond, and we would welcome your feedback around offering this opportunity, " said Hallett.
No additional details at this time. The investigation remains ongoing.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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