‘An apology.’ Chatham district updates policies after mock ‘slave auction’ at NC school
Chatham County Schools Superintendent Anthony Jackson apologized Monday for a mock “slave auction” that took place at a local school and ordered immediate action to prevent similar activities from happening in the future.
The school board unanimously approved changes to its policies for dealing with acts of racism after reports surfaced of Black students being “sold” at a mock slave auction at J.S. Waters School in Goldston. The board also will review the student code of conduct and discipline policies, Superintendent Anthony Jackson said.
“Actions such as these, they just do not reflect who we are as a school system,” Jackson said. “And I say, unapologetically, will not be tolerated in the school system.”
Large crowds attended the school board meeting Monday to demand that the district take steps to address the situation. Crowds of parents, students and activists packed the meeting in support of people speaking out against the racist incident.
The Chatham County school system has received national attention since parent Ashley Palmer charged in social media that her son experienced a “slave auction” of Black students.
“I want to do something that needs to be done here publicly. I want to offer an apology,” Jackson at the meeting. “An apology to every single student who has ever felt unsafe while in our care, to every student who has ever felt demeaned, disrespected or marginalized because of their race, ethnicity, sex, gender, religion or disability.
“In Chatham County schools, we proudly boast that diversity is our strength, and moving forward it will be our intentional focus to ensure that this celebration includes everyone. Moving forward, my personal commitment to you, is that we will do better.”
A coalition of local groups said Monday afternoon that the school board needs to take steps to address the situation, including requiring the students to apologize for the auction. The coalition also wants the district to raise the penalties for students and school employees who engage in racist behaviors, including making it a fireable offense.
“The acts committed towards our son and other classmates was extremely disturbing, however not surprising since this isn’t the first time our family has had to deal with racist acts towards one of our children,” Palmer said to a crowd of 150 people outside Pittsboro Presbyterian Church at a news conference.
“It is just the first time we decided to go the distance to make sure it wasn’t just met with a cultural acceptance bulletin board,” Palmer said. “But hoped to get recognized for the extreme racism it is and followed with actual real consequences deserving of such a heinous act.”
Ronda Taylor Bullock, an anti-racism trainer who spoke at Monday’s news conference, called the auction an “act of racism” and “an act of white supremacy in broad daylight.” Bullock, who attended J.S. Waters School, said she didn’t want to “demonize” the students who conducted the auction but said that the district must respond forcefully to prevent Black students from facing more acts of discrimination.
“How many students have to go to J.S. Waters with a similar story?” Bullock said. “How many more have to go through seared, branded like a slave by these horrible memories that we will not forget?”
Superintendent updates school policy
The school board unanimously approved superintendent Jackson’s proposed policy changes and regulations as part of a comprehensive plan for accountability for racist incidents in schools, support services for students and training for staff.
Jackson directed the board to authorize implementing a list of new regulations, to direct staff to “begin a full top-to-bottom review of our student code of conduct” and to authorize a district-wide training protocol, including establishing channels of communication with parents and local community organizations. The review also will address the timeline for how schools address racial “insults, slurs and other hate speech” involving students, teachers and staff.
“I’m asking this board to authorize us to look at our staffing needs to ensure that we have the tools and the staff to appropriately reach out to our community to support these community agencies,” said Jackson. “And to work with our parents who are crying out to us to help and that we have a pathway for those parents to be able to say very clearly, that we hear you and that we’re going to address this matter as quickly as possible.”
During public comments at the school board meeting, Christy Wagner, a parent of one of the Black students who was “sold” in the mock slave auction, made an emotional plea to the school board.
“The reality is these acts of racism are not only happening here in Chatham County but across North Carolina and across the country,” said Wagner. “More should be done around addressing racism in schools, because no parent should have to stand here after hearing their son was sold in a slave trade at school.”
A press release from Chatham Organizing For Racial Equity (CORE) released on Monday offers additional details about the reported slave auction, including that it involved middle school students and occurred “in the presence of staff and faculty, and while being filmed.”
J.S. Waters is a rural K-8 school, located around 50 miles southwest of Raleigh. It has 195 students, and 68% are white.
“These students were emboldened to not only commit brazen and overt acts of racism but to retaliate further and continue their aggression after serving a perfunctory one-day suspension,” according to the press release. “The initial tepid response by the school’s administrators to these traumatizing incidents is problematic.”
Wagner said she found out about the event two weeks ago from another parent. Her son told her, “Mom, it wasn’t a big deal” when she asked him why he didn’t tell her. Her son, who is biracial, was involved in the incident, she said.
“Some days I feel anger about what has happened. Some days I feel sadness trying to grasp why we are still having these issues in 2022,” she said. “And honestly, some days I felt guilty and questioned if I’m doing a good job raising my son. I’ve never thought in a million years I would be standing here talking about my son experiencing racism in middle school ... This moment in my son’s early life has already made him question playing a sport he loves with his friends. I pray this does not impact him mentally and socially going forward.”
Last week, Jackson sent a letter to families condemning “recent unacceptable incidents.” He said the district “must commit to dismantling racism and other negative influences that affect our school community.”
Make students apologize for auction
The coalition presented a list of eight recommendations to the school board meeting. The list includes:
▪ The students involved need to apologize to their discrimination targets and the school community.
▪ Child trauma counselors skilled in racial trauma should be available to support students.
▪ Revise the student code of conduct “to designate racist and discriminatory remarks as hate speech separate from the current bullying policy with corresponding consequences that match the severity of this abuse our children face.”
▪ Revise school personnel guidelines “to make racist remarks and behaviors a fireable offense for teachers and staff.”
▪ Review the administration’s response “to this and previous racist incidents at the school to determine the appropriateness of their responses.”
“Racist acts shouldn’t be disciplined on the same level as someone pulling another student’s hair, with a one-day suspension,” Palmer said. “It should have its own designation, reportable at the county level and handled with the significant consequences that it deserves. No child should face abuse by their peers and staff.”
Bullock said the district needs to make it clear to school employees that they can’t tolerate racist actions in schools.
“If educators are being racist and upholding a toxic racist environment, they need to be fired,” Bullock said. “We need to normalize that being a victim of racism is a fire-able offense for those who are perpetrating that harm.”
This story was originally published March 14, 2022 at 1:01 PM with the headline "‘An apology.’ Chatham district updates policies after mock ‘slave auction’ at NC school."
