UPDATED: An Arlington woman says she received a copy of the KKK’s symbol in the mail after her letter in The Boston Globe said Donald Trump’s initial reluctance to disavow former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke “chilled my blood.”
Louise Mayerson, 84, who left her native Austria as a child when her family fled the Nazis, said she received an anonymous envelope in the mail shortly after her letter to the editor was published in the Globe on March 2, the newspaper reported Friday, March 18.
In an interview, The Globe’s Travis Anderson quoted her: “My outrage grows and grows and grows. And it’s flamed by the irresponsible actions, frankly, of Donald Trump.”
Mayerson contacted Arlington police, who are investigating the incident, Chief Frederick Ryan told The Globe. He said police have increased patrols on streets in Mayerson’s neighborhood.
The department reported the incident to the town’s Human Rights Commission. The group voted unanimously Wednesday, March 16, to send a letter about the incident to area media.
The Globe story includes responses from Robert O. Trestan, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, and Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks.
Read the entire Globe report here >>
Ottoson incident
In a separate matter, Timothy Ruggere, principal at Ottoson, reported in an email to parents March 17 that this week school administrators found racist and anti-Semitic graffiti in two bathrooms at the Ottoson Middle School.
“We take this extremely seriously as it is behavior that is totally unacceptable in the Arlington Public School community,” he wrote. “We are working with the Arlington Police Department and have reached out to the Arlington Human Rights Commission as well.
“We will be addressing our concerns with students tomorrow [March 18] and will continue to work with students on many levels throughout the remainder of the year.
“Our focus will be on the roles for students and adults to play in preventing such activities and ensuring the school is a safe and supportive environment for all. All this work will be an ongoing process that will continually be monitored for effectiveness.
“We also ask for the active and open support from parents and guardians in speaking with their children about community standards of behavior and Arlington’s culture of openness to all races, religions, and cultures.”
Superintendent’s statement
Superintendent Kathleen Bodie issued the following statement Friday, March 18:
“The Arlington Public Schools is deeply saddened by the recent graffiti at the Ottoson Middle School as it is not representative of our values and vision. The Principal is speaking to all students during lunch periods today regarding community standards of acceptable behavior, and reinforcing how
seriously the school community views this type of incident.
“Activity such as this recent racist and anti-Semitic graffiti is not to be tolerated.
“School administration is meeting with the Arlington Human Rights Commission and is also in contact with the Anti-Defamation League as it plans future steps to ensure this type of activity is not repeated.
“This incident is an unfortunate reminder that we have ongoing work as a school community to engage students in understanding and living up to our core values, including openness to all races, religions and cultures.
“The School Department is supporting ongoing work to ensure a safe and supportive environment for all students, and asks for constant and active support of all arents, guardians and Arlington residents as it continues to educate all students on the importance of universal respect for all community members.”
Globe letter, March 2, 2016: Trump’s wavering over ex-KKK member poses a chilling threat
This report was published Friday, March 18, 2016, and updated.
