MELROSE, MASS. (WHDH) - A group rallied outside Melrose City Hall Tuesday to highlight what some parents call troubling racial disparities within Melrose schools.
Members of the community called for change following two separate reports of racism at schools in the district.
“Black students were six times more likely to be disciplined and nearly eight times more likely to receive an out of school suspension compared to their white counterparts,” an organizer said.
Melrose Public Schools launched an investigation after a fifth grader named Kai had her braid cut off in class.
“Hopefully this will be a spark for some change so that no other child has to experience what Kai experienced,” said Kerrin Gibbs, Kai’s mother.
The goal of the rally was to demand accountability from district leaders and show support for the kids impacted. That includes Gibbs’ daughter Kai, who said she’s also been called derogatory names.
“She reported it right away, and she did the right thing, and she spoke up, and the administration just completely diminished her experience and tried to pretend like they didn’t understand the magnitude of what was happening,” Gibbs said.
Rally organizers also demanded justice for a middle school boy whose family claimed he was bullied so badly that the family pursued a civil rights investigation. They’re calling on school administrators to require robust racial and cultural sensitivity training for teachers and staff.
“We have retained an attorney and we’re currently exploring all avenues for relief to get Kai the justice that she needs,” Gibbs said.
John Macero, the superintendent of Melrose Public Schools, issued a response after the rally.
“We have a lot of work to do to prevent future incidents of racism. We’re committed to doing that work within the schools… It is important that we as a district grow in the right directiona nd become inclusive to all,” Macero said.
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