10-29-2023 12:51am

Educators alarmed by recent bias incidents at Long Island schools

Samantha Hespos Editor

Christopher Probst, director of education at the Nassau County Holocaust and Tolerance Center, teaches a visiting group of high school students on Oct. 26. Credit: Danielle Silverman

Recent reports of antisemitic and racist incidents have aroused apprehension among advocates and educators in Long Island, who assert the necessity for more extensive measures to address these alarming conduct patterns among students.

"I have engaged with various school districts, and they express a sense of powerlessness," asserted Laura Harding, the president of Syosset-based nonprofit ERASE Racism. "They have diligently adhered to all the tenets outlined in DASA [Dignity for All Students Act], yet suspensions have failed to yield desired outcomes. Uncertainty abounds regarding the subsequent course of action."

Within the first month and a half of the 2023-24 school year, there have been a minimum of five incidents that gained significant attention involving antisemitic behaviors and racist episodes. Officials from Port Washington to Riverhead districts have been compelled to address their respective communities regarding these occurrences, and educators are apprehensive regarding the potential deterioration of the culture in light of escalating conflicts in the Middle East.

According to school officials, students have experienced consequences for their actions; however, due to privacy laws, they are unable to disclose specific details regarding disciplinary measures.

Advocates and educators on Long Island are expressing alarm due to recent instances of racism and antisemitism. They believe that more action is necessary to tackle these student behaviors. District officials in Port Washington and Riverhead have had to address their communities regarding these incidents, and educators fear that the situation may deteriorate further with the escalating conflict in the Middle East. Educators believe that social media and a divided society have played a role in driving these incidents, which range from racial slurs during sports events to antisemitic graffiti.

According to educators, the occurrence of incidents like racial slurs at sporting events and antisemitic graffiti has been influenced by a combination of social media and a society that is divided.

Christopher Probst, who serves as the director of education at the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County, stated that this issue has persistently affected schools in Long Island.

"We're witnessing a cultural climate where hateful, racist, and antisemitic expressions and actions have unfortunately shifted from the periphery of society toward the mainstream," he noted. "We must also remember that, while not excusing their behavior, students in our elementary, middle, and high schools are still in the process of self-discovery.

"Moreover, the extensive hours spent on social media, where some content conveys hateful, racist messages and other harmful material, creates a potentially dangerous situation," Probst added.

Some school leaders have reached out to both ERASE Racism, a civil rights organization that uses research and advocacy to expose segregation in Long Island housing and education, and the Holocaust center for programming in their classrooms. Districts also are taking other steps to address what they see as increasing disrespect among students.

The Port Washington district has scheduled a community-wide meeting at its high school for Monday for a "Discussion on Anti-Semitism."

"Given the current charged atmosphere, it's essential to provide these kids with consequences that are both fair and fitting. Simultaneously, we must focus on educating them because it's evident that many children have become desensitized," explained Michael Hynes, the superintendent of Port Washington.

In the Nassau County district, Hynes has had to address two incidents of antisemitism since the school year began, one of which involved students sharing an antisemitic image on social media in recent weeks. The district has taken disciplinary measures against the students involved, and Hynes noted that no arrests were made.

District officials have formed partnerships with local rabbis and cantors, in addition to collaborating with the Holocaust center. The center offers exhibit tours at its Glen Cove facility, provides classroom visits by its staff, and can arrange testimonies from Holocaust survivors or second-generation survivors.

Port Washington is planning to significantly expand its anti-bias programming at its high school and middle schools. Superintendent Hynes emphasized, "The next step involves redoubling our efforts to educate our parents. We can't tackle this issue in isolation. It has to be a genuine partnership between what's happening in the home and what's being discussed at home. That's the challenging part."

These incidents occur at a time when hate crimes continue to be a significant concern on Long Island. While specific school-related data is not available, in 2022, Nassau County reported approximately 60 hate crimes, an increase from 28 the previous year, according to preliminary data collected by the state Division of Criminal Justice Services. In Suffolk County, the number of hate crimes showed a slight decrease, going from 28 in 2021 to 27 the following year, as indicated by the data.

Before the commencement of this school year, New York Attorney General Letitia James and State Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa issued guidelines, reinforcing schools' responsibility to promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in their educational planning and decision-making processes. These guidelines included recommendations for addressing harassment and cautioned against actions that could create a hostile environment for students from diverse backgrounds and identities.

Over the past two years, the Bellmore-Merrick district has issued public apologies to the Elmont community on two occasions following incidents at home sporting events. The most recent apology came in September when a student spectator at a John F. Kennedy High School girls volleyball game in Bellmore used a racial slur to taunt the Elmont team. Elmont Memorial High School has a student body that is approximately 66% Black and 18% Latino, while John F. Kennedy High School's student body is about 83% white, as indicated by state records.

Lynette Battle, president of Elmont's Parent Teacher Student Association, shared her frustration regarding the lack of progress despite her meetings with school and athletic leaders.

"Students have been enduring mistreatment for years. Each incident leads to a new 'sincere apology letter' and perhaps a meeting for everyone to voice their concerns," she noted. "But what comes after that? Everyone promises change, and yet the incidents persist."

Sewanhaka superintendent Thomas Dolan mentioned in a recent statement that the district's coaches participated in the preseason Dignity for All Students Act workshop with their teams, and this practice will continue through the remaining sports seasons. Elmont Memorial is a part of the Sewanhaka district.

Kennedy, on the other hand, is a part of the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School district. Superintendent Michael Harrington stated that coaches, staff, and leaders in athletics, music, and the arts have received additional training before the school year began.

Pat Pizzarelli, the executive director of Section VIII, the governing body for public school sports in Nassau, announced that they are modifying their protocol for handling racist or biased incidents between teams, beginning this winter season. Additionally, the group is organizing a Unity Day for later in the school year to promote inclusivity.

"We are taking extra measures," he emphasized. "There is no room in our world for racial slurs or bias."

In a letter addressed to the Levittown community in September, Superintendent Todd Winch disclosed that the district had initiated an inquiry into instances of "derogatory, inappropriate, and hateful language and images" involving students outside of school grounds. The investigation revealed that a number of students from the Division Avenue High School football team had used shaving cream to create what appeared to be racist and antisemitic graffiti on the property of other students, although it occurred off-campus.

The superintendent stated that students implicated in the incident would be subject to fitting consequences, and as a result, the district decided to forfeit the high school's homecoming football game.

In a statement released on Friday, Winch mentioned that the district is actively tackling the recent situation as well as the increasing number of bias incidents across the nation by implementing supplementary educational programs throughout the district. This includes collaborating with the Holocaust center.

According to ERASE Racism's Harding, Long Island needs a significant cultural shift that involves training both students and staff to understand their biases and foster a more inclusive environment. She pointed out that this transformation doesn't occur overnight simply by attending an implicit bias workshop.

However, achieving this goal is complicated by Long Island's diverse makeup, as it consists of over 100 school districts, and many of them lack significant ethnic diversity, as noted by Harding. Nevertheless, several school districts have reached out to her group for guidance on implementing and supporting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion plans.

"When you have knee-jerk reactions and everything is anti-bias, it still doesn't necessarily foster equity and inclusiveness," she said. "When you have an equity and inclusion focus, then your goal is to make sure that everyone, irrespective of race, gender, socio-economic status, sexual identity, ability … is able to feel welcome."

Officials in the Riverhead school district recently hired Emily Sanz as director of social and emotional learning, English as a new language, special programs and community outreach. The superintendent's conference day to be held Nov. 7 will focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, where community members will provide breakout sessions to support the theme for the day. The keynote address will be delivered by a DEI specialist from Eastern Suffolk BOCES, Interim Superintendent William Galati said.

In the district, two disturbing incidents have occurred since the school year commenced, including instances of swastikas drawn on desks at the high school and students using racial slurs during a high school football game. Riverhead school administrators held discussions with local civic associations and the town's anti-bias task force to incorporate more "racial relations" programs into the curriculum. They confirmed that the students involved have faced disciplinary actions.

Interim Superintendent William Galati's aim is to ensure that when students graduate from the Riverhead system, they have acquired skills in collaborating with a diverse population, problem-solving, and critical thinking, preparing them for participation in society.

A committee within the Nassau County Council of School Superintendents is working on educating children about these issues at a younger age. Currently, the Holocaust is not extensively addressed in the curriculum until after sixth grade. Mary O'Meara, co-chair of the committee and Superintendent of Plainview-Old Bethpage, is working with Vincent Randazzo, Superintendent of Island Park schools, to develop a free curriculum that includes discussions about hate symbols, especially for young learners.

O'Meara explained, "What prompted this is we were finding a rise in antisemitic graffiti, and some of the students responsible were very young. We have young people who have drawn a swastika and know they have not had extensive instruction on that symbol."