District 5 Montgomery County Councilmember Kristin Mink released the following statement on Wednesday, December 11, an incident where a racial slur was found written on a student’s desk at Wootton High School in Rockville.
“The fact that Black students and community members had to advocate for years for anti-Black racism to be taken seriously at Wootton High School is disgraceful. The dramatic discrepancies coming to light between how the school responded to anti-Black incidents versus how they responded to hate and bias incidents targeting other groups reflect systemic racism and deep historical harm that will require serious, thoughtful, and sustained efforts to repair. Even though Wootton’s principal has been put on leave, that is one person in a long line of MCPS executive staff that ignored Black students’ calls for help.
That is unacceptable in our diverse school system.
I am grateful for the leadership of the school’s Black Student Union, and I am angry and heartbroken that they, as well as Black families, teachers, and community members had to demand again and again that someone care about hateful acts of anti-Black racism happening to them, compounding the harm of those acts. Advocating for one’s humanity and equality is exhausting, demoralizing, and often lonely work, and it was foisted upon students in what should be a safe place to learn. This moment must serve as a call to action for MCPS, our County leadership, and our collective community.
Implementation of a response plan outlined by new MCPS Superintendent Thomas Taylor has begun, including the immediate steps of mandatory training for Wootton staff, on-site mental health support for students and staff, and restorative dialogues with community. We know that this is only the start of what is needed to address long-standing anti-Black racism present in MCPS.
Wootton’s ineffectiveness highlights institutional weaknesses. Every staff member at every school must have a clear understanding of what steps are required following hate bias incidents, and there must be accountability measures to ensure steps are being followed with fidelity. To protect the safety and the success of all our students, this work must be prioritized. This also means that all executive leadership must be knowledgeable and skilled at recognizing, building, and sustaining anti-racist, anti-bias environments.
The County Council’s Education and Culture Committee, on which I sit, will be reviewing MCPS’s progress on their Anti-Racist Audit Implementation Plan, providing an opportunity to transparently discuss systemwide reforms in detail. I will remain in communication with the Superintendent and his team, the Board of Education, families, and community groups as we work to build a school system that equitably cares for, uplifts, and respects every student.”
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