Apparent racist incident at Wayland High School under investigation

WAYLAND, Mass. — Officials in Wayland are investigating after a safety figure wearing the jersey of a Black football player was found hanged in the locker room.

On Thursday afternoon, a yellow plastic “children at play” street safety figure sporting the jersey Black WHS student was found hanging by a belt around its neck from a ceiling pipe of the boys locker room, Wayland High School principal Allyson Mizoguchi said Friday.

“This centuries-old symbol of hate and racial violence evokes deep emotion and has no place in our community,” Mizoguchi said

The student who found the figure immediately reported it to school officials.

“At a time when many students in our country are not attending school regularly due to a sense of fear, we have a special obligation to ensure that all of our students can attend school free of hate and discrimination,” Mizoguchi added. “When these types of incidents occur, our staff immediately focuses on supporting those students who are impacted directly, while informing the broader community that such deplorable acts will not be tolerated.”

Counseling was available to students on Friday.

“As we continue an active investigation of this incident, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety and dignity of every individual who learns and works at WHS,” Mizoguchi said. “We do not tolerate acts of hate in Wayland, and we will take all appropriate actions to ensure accountability, learning, and healing within our community.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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