Commissions issue full statement, comments on other incidents
Solidarity outside Town Hall on May 2: ‘No home for hate here.’ / Naomi Greenfield photo
UPDATED, May 4: The public responded to pleas from the town’s Rainbow and Human Rights commissions urging attendance at a “solidarity gathering” at Town Hall Wednesday, May 2, in response to hate incidents in recent years, and an estimated 100 people showed up.
The latest incident was discovered that morning, when homophobic graffiti was found sprayed in two areas behind Arlington High School.
In addition, AHS Principal Matthew Janger wrote to the school’s email list May 2 that a “group of young males broke into the building and broke windows, discharged fire extinguishers, broke tables, and smeared items around. They smashed display cases in our art department.”
He referred to the slurs and called the “vandalism is an attack on our entire community. We stand in solidarity against these expressions of hate.” How the administration and students responded is reported below.
Town Meeting member sees hate, takes action
Asked to document the most recent hate incidents, David Swanson, a member of the Human Rights Commission, told YourArlington May 2:
“There have been additional incidents brought to our attention. Asked to document the most recent hate incidents, David Swanson, a member of the Human Rights Commission, wrote May 2: “There have been additional incidents brought to our attention.
“The commission is currently tracking and cataloguing these incidents. Our goal is to make aggregate data on local hate incidents publicly available to the Arlington community, without using personal identifiers or infringing on personal privacy. We hope to make this data available later this year.”
Mel Goldsipe, vice chair of the Rainbow Commission, issued a lengthy statement. It is published in full here:
Statement from the Human Rights Commission and Rainbow Commission regarding hate incident at Arlington High School on May 2, 2018:
The Arlington Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and the LGBTQIA+ Rainbow Commission are sad to report that another hate incident has occurred in Arlington. This is part of an unfortunate trend of increasing incidents in the town over the past few years.
On May 2, two large pieces of antigay graffiti were found at Arlington High School (AHS) on an exterior wall and in the back parking lot, and a swastika was discovered on a nearby trash can. The Arlington Police Department (APD) was notified promptly and is working with Arlington Public Schools (APS) to investigate. The AHRC and Rainbow Commission reached out to the schools to offer our resources in responding to this incident.
We were heartened to hear from AHS Principal Janger that the student government, club leaders, and captains today joined to express their solidarity with their classmates. The school has had an increasing number of student- and faculty-led events, workshops, and activities exploring and promoting inclusion and equality. He tells us that the slow drip of a few people who are seeking attention through disruption is opposed by the trend toward an increasingly diverse and inclusive community at the high school. He invites us to swing by and take a look at the student art response visible on the front of the school.
This evening, members of the AHRC, Rainbow Commission, and Mystic LGBTQ+ Youth Support Network (Queer Mystic) will be attending a public gathering at Town Hall at 7:30 pm as Town Meeting convenes. We will display rainbow flags and Hate Has No Home Here signs and meet each other to build community across differences. Please join us.
We reaffirm our community’s commitment to embracing diversity and eliminating prejudice, intolerance, bigotry, discrimination, and intimidation. This hate incident does not reflect the values of our Town, the groups cosigned here, or the vast majority of Arlington residents. We are in solidarity with the students, faculty, staff, and their families as they process the emotional impact and work on the school community’s response. We particularly extend our support at this time to the LGBTQIA+ and Jewish community at AHS and in our town.
APD and the diversity- and inclusion-focused Commissions and groups are committed to creating an atmosphere where everyone in Arlington feels safe and supported. All of us function best when living without fear of violence, discrimination, exclusion, or humiliation. Our children, families, businesses, and the community as a whole are hurt by hateful acts against anyone based on race, color, religious views, national origin, sex, gender identity, citizenship, age, ancestry, family/marital status, sexual orientation, disability, source of income, or military status.
We strongly support the constitutional rights of free expression, freedom from intimidation, and equal protection for all people.
Anonymous hate incidents aim to prevent members of our diverse population from enjoying full participation in civic life. The AHRC and the Rainbow Commission strongly endorse APD’s efforts on restorative justice and hope there will be an opportunity for the vandals to sit in dialogue with those affected to foster healing. We also support efforts by members of the faith community and local neighborhood groups who are facilitating respectful and productive conversation around difference through shared meals and other events.
APD has demonstrated dedication to the safety and security of all people, and our town services and agencies are committed to fostering not only a tolerant spirit, but an educated and enlightened one as well. APD and the AHRC have a long history of working closely with each other to investigate and resolve hate incidents, and now the Rainbow Commission is joining in that work by helping build community within the LGBTQIA+ population and strengthening ties with the greater community. We will collaboratively pursue healing and understanding while promising to seek out, identify, and hold responsible those who commit these harmful acts.
In light of this hate incident, we encourage you to take a moment in the coming week to commit an act of practical support for the targeted communities, such as attending an educational event, studying the history of oppressions, or supporting an organization that sustains marginalized communities.
We also ask for your help in ensuring that all individuals who live, attend school, work, visit, shop, or receive services in Arlington feel welcome and protected here. If you know of an act of discrimination, intimidation, or other hate incident, please report it to APD (781-643-1212) and/or AHRC (781-316-3250, ahrc@town.arlington.ma.us). The Massachusetts Attorney General’s office has also set up a hotline for reporting bias-motivated harassment or threats (1-800-994-3228).
The AHRC educates the Arlington community through programs that increase mutual respect, works with town government, schools, and other Town commissions and boards to promote diversity, responds to complaints by Town residents who believe that their human rights have been violated, and initiates investigations where unlawful discrimination may have occurred. The next meeting will be May 29 at 8 pm in the ground-floor gallery of the Jefferson Cutter House, 611 Mass. Ave. All meetings are open to the public.
The Rainbow Commission promotes equality-affirming policies regarding the full spectrum of sexual orientations and gender identities, and brings greater visibility and empowerment to the LGBTQIA+ population through education, advocacy, and collaboration with other Town agencies, schools, and community groups. The next meeting is May 17 at 6:30 p.m. in the Board of Health conference room at the Senior Center, 27 Maple St. All meetings are open to the public.
For more information, please contact the AHRC at 781-316-3250 or ahrc@town.arlington.ma.us, and follow on Twitter (twitter.com/ArlHumanRights) and Facebook(tinyurl.com/AHRCfacebook). You can reach the Rainbow Commission at rainbow@town.arlington.ma.us and follow on Twitter (twitter.com/ArlingtonMAlgbt).
Statement cosigned by:
Dan Dunn, Chair of the Board of Selectmen
Kirsi Allison-Ampe, Chair of the Arlington School Committee
Arlington Police Department
Vision 2020 Diversity Task Group
Equal Opportunity Advisory Committee
Christine Bongiorno, Director of Health and Human Services
Natasha Waden, Director of Public Health
Jeff Chunglo, Director of Veterans Services
Susan Carp, Director of the Council on Aging
Colleen Leger, Director of the Arlington Youth Counseling Center
Karen Koretsky, Director of the Arlington Youth Health and Safety Coalition
Housing Corporation of Arlington
Mystic LGBTQ+ Youth Support Network
What to do if you discover hate graffiti or witness a hate incident
We know that witnessing anti-Semitic, racist, anti-Muslim, anti-LGBTQIA+, and other hate incidents is distressing. In the case of graffiti, the immediate impulse is often to cover it up right away to protect others from having to see it. When possible, it would be helpful if you could document the incident before covering it up.
Below are some steps you can take to help the APD investigate the graffiti. AHRC also keeps a log of incidents in town and finds the information helpful in designing educational events and other projects.
1. Photograph any graffiti and write down all the details you can recall of the incident you witnessed.
2. Note the date/time and location of the graffiti or incident with as much detail as possible.
3. Contact the APD at 781-643-1212. You can also contact AHRC at 781-316-3250 or ahrc@town.arlington.ma.us, if you wish.
4. It’s best if you can leave the graffiti in place until APD can inspect it. If you must cover it up, please do photograph it well before and after. The Town sometimes gets multiple reports of the same graffiti, and this helps determine whether to send officers and DPW out for additional inspections/removal.
Principal Janger’s statement to the AHS Community on May 2:
A brick wall at Arlington High reflects approved student graffiti, aimed at combating slurs.
I am extremely disheartened to report an incident of vandalism at Arlington High School last night. A group of young males broke into the building and broke windows, discharged fire extinguishers, broke tables, and smeared items around. They smashed display cases in our art department.
Most disturbingly, they spray painted three messages of hate on the outside wall, including two homophobic slurs and a swastika on a trash barrel. Our custodians photographed the damage and immediately began to repair and clean, so that we could start the school day.
We immediately reported this to the Arlington Police Department and the Arlington Human Rights Commission and began taking actions to repair the harm done by these acts and to identify the actors.
This vandalism is an attack on our entire community. We stand in solidarity against these expressions of hate. Indeed, hate speech and vandalism are the opposite of everything we stand for at AHS. I am concerned for those students who feel particularly targeted by these symbols and words. I am also saddened for the vandals who feel a need to demonstrate hate within our community.
How students responded
During the day, our students leaders met with us to plan a response and during the last period, we met as a school. Our student government, club leaders, and captains stood to express their solidarity with all of our students. Members of our student council spoke about the strength, values, and inclusive spirit of our school community. Following the assembly, students gathered in front of the school to write colorful messages to express those positive values. We are saddened by the actions of these vandals, but they clearly do not represent the culture and values of Arlington High School. I have attached some pictures from the day [one of them is at right]. There are more wonderful messages than I could capture.
We come together at AHS to learn how to understand, discuss, and address the challenges of our democratic society. This year began with the Arlington Unity Project, where students wove yarn between posts on our lawn labeled with different aspects of identity and created a powerful symbol of unity. Our Student Council and Captains Council have worked to promote community through numerous events and activities.
On Wellness Day and Inclusion Day students attended multiple assemblies and over 90 workshops focused on topics related to mental health, wellness, identity, bias, culture, and stereotyping. Students ran over 30 of these activities. Creating a safe, supportive, and inclusive community requires ongoing work, and Arlington High School is in a good place and moving in the right direction. We welcome all students. We work to learn to debate, question, and explore in an respectful environment. We are committed, no matter how imperfect, to that work.
Time frame of incidents
We are working with the Arlington Police Department to actively investigate these crimes and we have asked the students to help us by reporting any information. Student reports to administration will be kept confidential. We are working on creating an anonymous reporting system. If you know of suspicious activity around the school between 11:30 and 2 on Tuesday evening, please let us know.
Unfortunately, vandalism and hate speech leave us feeling confused, frightened, discouraged, or upset. I remind you that the most important thing we can do is support each other. If you have friends, colleagues, or classmates who seem sad, angry, or isolated, reach out to make sure they are alright. Let an adult know.
In addition, one of the best ways to avoid feeling scared or depressed is to take action to help others. We have a great deal of power to make our communities safer and more inclusive by getting involved, organizing, and volunteering.
I want to remind everyone that students can reach out to Guidance, Deans, our School Social Workers, or our Nurses. In addition, if you feel that your student needs mental health resources, there are many resources listed on our guidance website. Walk-in evaluation screening is available through Advocates in Waltham from 7:00 am-11:00 pm(781-893-2003). Counseling resources are also available 24 hours at the Massachusetts Suicide Prevention Hotline (800-273-TALK).
It’s been a busy day, but, at the end of the day, I am proud and inspired by our students and our community. Thank you to the custodians, police, teachers, parents, and students for all that you do.
Dr. Matthew Janger, principal at AHS, offered this up on Thursday, May 3:
I want to thank everyone for the outpouring of supportive and thoughtful responses we have received for the vandalism and hate speech at Arlington. I wanted to send a brief update and thank you.
This morning our Senior Officers read a statement on the morning announcements and helped plan an assembly for the Senior Class during our Advisory period. The students wrote messages thanking our custodians.
The Senior class shared this statement with the school, “On behalf of the student Council we would like to clearly state that we do not tolerate the actions of the students who vandalized the school and we do not tolerate hate speech and discrimination.
“If you do not stand for this kind of behavior, please wear black on Friday. Once again, wear black on Friday to take a stand against hate speech and discrimination.”
I would also like to thank the Arlington Rainbow Coalition and the Arlington Human Right Commission. These groups held a “Solidarity Gathering” in front of Town Hall and spoke at Town Meeting last night. I understand that over 100 people attended.
Again, our investigation is ongoing. We are working with the Arlington Police Department to actively investigate these crimes and we have asked the students to help us by confidentially reporting any information. We appreciate the support we have already received.
Some folks have asked how they can help. First, you can help by speaking to your children about these events and discussing how we can support each other and prevent them from happening. In addition, donations to our Friends of Arlington High School fund will be used to thank our custodians, support repairs, and other restorative activities.
Sen. Cindy Friedman’s May 4 statement:
“I was disheartened to learn that a group of young men vandalized Arlington High School property with homophobic and anti-Semitic graffiti on Wednesday morning.
“These hate-filled acts are despicable and do not reflect the values of our community. Every student at Arlington High should be able to go to school without feeling threatened or unwelcome.
“During a time when hate incidents and hate speech are on the rise across our country, we must double down on our efforts to spread kindness and compassion. I was impressed, but not surprised, by the immediate reaction by the Arlington community to organize a solidarity gathering the same night these terrible actions took place.
“While I was unable to attend the gathering, I was pleased to hear that over 100 people met outside of Town Hall ahead of Town Meeting last night to condemn these hateful acts and, instead, offer messages of love, inclusion and positivity.
“This is another reminder of why I am so pleased to live in and represent this town. Thank you to the Arlington Human Rights Commission, the Rainbow Commission, Arlington Police Chief Fred Ryan, Arlington town officials, Arlington High School students and faculty, and the community as a whole for your speedy, professional response to this hateful incident.”
This news brief was published on Wednesday, May 2, 2018, and updated with a statement, as well as May 3, with further statements, and another May 4.
