The administration at West Hartford’s Hall High School sent a message to families on Wednesday regarding racist language that has been found in the school bathrooms.

By Ronni Newton

Hall High School administrators sent a strong message to families Wednesday morning in response to repeat incidents of racist graffiti that has been scrawled on surfaces in the school bathrooms.

Details were not provided regarding the nature of the racist language, nor the number of incidents that have taken place, but school administrators said that in order to “ensure students use the bathrooms wisely,” there will be increased monitoring by adults, and some bathrooms will be closed to use.

The message also stated that the behavior will not be tolerated, and anyone who is caught defacing the bathrooms with racist language will be disciplined. “Any member of our community who is found to be committing these acts will be held accountable, up to and including expulsion,” the letter said.

The administration noted that there are certain areas where students – upperclassmen with free periods – are permitted to congregate, and those spaces do not include bathrooms. The cafeteria, library, or Career Center are available to students during free periods, and during lunch waves they are permitted to remain in the cafeteria or outdoor courtyard.

“As a Hall community, we are committed to creating an environment where every student feels safe, respected and supported,” the letter stated. “This is the foundation for every student to access their education as we move forward in this journey toward making Hall a more equitable place. We need to work together to ensure Hall is a safe and welcoming environment for all.”

Several resources were also provided by the administration to assist in conversation with students who may affected by the racist acts, including a tolerance guidebook entitled “Let’s Talk, Discussing Race, Racism, and other Difficult Topics with Students,” and a list of important phone numbers.

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