Take It Seriously

Members of the Westhampton Beach School Board are facing one of the most significant issues in the district, and in society as a whole: charges of systemic racism by not only students in the district but teachers and school leaders as well.

But you wouldn’t know it to listen to School Board President Suzanne Mensch and other members of the board. Instead of treating the allegations with the seriousness they deserve, Ms. Mensch, at a recent board meeting, instead chose to verbally attack one of a number of parents seeking change, accusing her of harassing board members and “behaving like a bully.”

The parent, Mary Alyce Rogers, has repeatedly attended School Board meetings and asked for change in the district, reporting that her daughter has experienced bias and discrimination in the district due to her race and learning differences.

It’s not an isolated accusation. An article in The Press last month highlighted numerous complaints of perceived racism in the district experienced by many families over the years. The issue came to a head when one student, a high school sophomore, refused to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance in protest over racist incidents that she says she has experienced, and in an effort to effectuate movement in the school district toward justice, as is happening nationally.

In the article, former students recall slang and racial epithets from classmates, searing comments on their appearance from educators, teachers agreeing with blatantly racist positions in the classroom, and numerous incidents of being treated differently because of their appearance or race.

It’s clear that there is work to do in the district to not only curb any ongoing racism, but to try to heal the effects of past incidents, so that every single member of the community can feel respected and safe inside the walls of the district’s three schools.

And that work has to start at the top, with Ms. Mensch and her colleagues on the board, who should at all times show patience and understanding when dealing with the issue — not the flagrant disregard for the feelings and experiences recounted by Ms. Rogers, who is seeking only to help improve the district and make it a better place for future generations. That’s a goal that should be shared by the board. If the response is to attack the messenger, it to some degree confirms that the issues are endemic.

There may be some hope for the future of the district. Superintendent of Schools Michael Radday did note that the district recently formed an Equity Committee to address, in part, the issues raised by Ms. Rogers and others, and board member Stacy Rubio said she hoped to work with Ms. Rogers on the committee.

Mr. Radday said the district was committed to fostering an environment of fairness, equity, kindness and respect for all. Hopefully, that sentiment trickles up to the School Board.

Ms. Mensch, in her statement, noted that the board members are unpaid and donate a lot of time to the district. “Okay, here is what I’m going to tell you: I will be the board member that has to say to you that you come here repeatedly and abuse seven volunteers of the community who donate a tremendous amount of unpaid time to all of our students in this district,” she said to Ms. Rogers.

While the board members’ commitment to the district is laudable, it must be noted that that is what they signed up for when they sought election to the board — and if it has become a hardship, they should consider finding other ways to give back to the community. Not everyone is cut out for the heavy lifting that’s needed here.

Yet it’s that spirit of volunteerism and dedication — they all obviously want to make the district a better place — that should be applied to having productive conversations with parents and community members like Ms. Rogers to address the issue head on. The school district, and the country, for that matter, will begin to be a better place through open dialogue in school board and other public meetings everywhere. Only by shining a light on the incidents and attitudes brought up by community members like Ms. Rogers will true change take place.

It’s a lesson that the Westhampton Beach School Board and administration would do well to learn.