Pleasant Valley High School students and staff,
A few weeks ago, a very disheartening incident occurred at our high school. Words filled with racism, homophobia and antisemitism were written on a boys’ bathroom wall.
And still, it is clear that there has not been enough attention drawn to this appalling incident that has recently happened in our community, which is deemed so committed to excellence. As students, we understand that administration is bound by FERPA to keep the identity of the thoughtless student who committed this act of hate confidential.
But people talk and students know who this student is.
We have seen this student at school; this leads reasonable people to conclude that the expulsion, which our school principal, Mike Zimmer, promised would result from the school’s confident identification of the student in question, did not happen.
To administration, while the short apology letter may not be that student’s only punishment for his actions, your announcement left hundreds of students to conclude the school and student had washed their hands of this dirty issue by simply reading a letter that so many of us deemed as insincere.
Addressed to PVHS, this student wrote, “At the time, it was meant jokingly and I look back now and realize why that is unacceptable and I truly wish I had never done it.” He added, “ I am not a racist, a homophobe or an anti-Semite.”
Now that the student body is aware a student has been caught, and because of the talk among the students about the student’s identity, it seems that administration feels that an apology letter fixes the distress and damage this student has caused.
Why are students receiving detentions for letting students in doors other than the main office, yet, this student is not receiving any consequences? Isn’t this also a threat to our safety?
Pleasant Valley is committed to excellence because we take pride in all that we do. We praise those who add depth and growth to our community and expect consequences to be taken for those who deteriorate what we have made.
As stated previously, this act of hatred is not standing alone in nature. Even though nobody would like to admit it, racism has been occurring at Pleasant Valley, and there have been no consequences for these acts.
What kind of example is being set for fellow students? What is this teaching students who are still learning right from wrong? Seeing acts of hatred and corruption around them without consequence will only enable students to continue committing racist actions.
Even though administration feels that they are protecting this individual, his identity is known and his apology to the student body comes nowhere near fixing his actions.
In his short letter, he states that he is not a racist; he only made a racist joke. It is unclear who his target audience was that would find this act humorous. Stating that he is not a racist, he just jokes about topics relating to it, is hypocritical to say the least.
In closing, I would like to draw attention to the fact that these acts of hatred will not stop unless a foot is put down, an example shown to the student body to warn what is wrong and immoral. It is blatantly unfair that other students have received expulsions or suspensions for only verbal threats or having substances found when their belongings are searched; this student’s actions were premeditated and he had plenty of time to realize that his supposed joke was not funny.
This student’s actions cannot be resolved through a letter stating that he is sorry. It makes sense why he would be sorry about his actions: he is sorry that he got caught. This superficial apology offers no true consequence for this individual and the situation will remain unchanged.
Although time may seem to heal the wounds opened from incidents such as these, time is not enough. The actions from this student will be remembered and will remain an incident that occurred at this high school; proper action must be taken.
