Watch: Drama unfolds at Franklin School Committee meeting when student talks about homophobic bullying and racism

A school committee meeting Tuesday night in Franklin exploded into an emotional back-and-forth between a student representative and an audience member after the student alleged ongoing bullying in the town’s high school.

Senior Mackenzie Atwood took a few minutes to talk about how the school has had meetings regarding certain “protected” classes, and how everyone in the school should be protected regardless of gender, gender identity, race, sexuality, or other differences.

Atwood appeared to be responding to citizen comments made earlier in the meeting by parents questioning which students would be considered to be “protected,” and which wouldn’t. Some of those comments included questioning if a student would be considered protected from being persecuted for being white, and dissatisfaction with the answer to that question from a school official.

“What is not clear about [the] school environment is that though everyone is said to be protected, that it is not followed through,” Atwood pointed out.

A member of her school’s theater community, she noted that many students there are gay, and that it’s “a safe space.” Many times, however, students talk about homophobic or racist incidents at school.

“When kids are coming to theater every single day and saying, ‘I got called a f***** in the hall today,’ or ‘I got called a racial slur in the hallway today,’ that’s not something to joke about, though it’s become something that we’re so numb to that it becomes a joke,” she said.

“So I think it’s important to understand that yes, everyone is protected at the school, but being someone who is caucasian is not something you’re being bullied about.”

Atwood’s comments drew vocal disagreement from some in the audience, causing school committee chairwoman Anne Bergen to slam her gavel.

“Being homosexual, which may I say I am gay, tell me what you want about that, I am being personally attacked in school about this,” Atwood continued.

More vocal disagreement followed, along with more gavel slamming.

Atwood then became emotional, saying that it’s “disgusting that you can look me in the eyes and say that I’m not being oppressed at this school.”

An uproar followed, and Bergen told those in the audience they would be asked to leave, and to sit down.

Someone off camera can be heard saying, “This has to stop, this is indoctrination,” a common rallying cry on Fox News and other conservative media outlets.

Bergen then calls for a temporary adjournment and the stream mutes.

When the meeting resumed, Bergen reminded that all who had made comments earlier during the meeting were allowed to do so respectfully.

“I just respectfully ask that you accord our students the same right tonight, and I do not ever, ever want to ask anyone to leave, but this meeting will be conducted respectfully,” she said. “And there will be no shouting out from the crowd, that’s not how we conduct meetings in this building.”

A letter was sent out to the community on the issue by Superintendent Sara Ahern, according to NBC10 Boston.

“It is with a heavy heart and sincere anger that I write regarding the events that transpired at last evening’s school committee meeting,” the letter said. “The conduct, tone, and disruption by some members of the audience was appalling and a violation of Franklin Public Schools’ core values of a safe and inclusive environment.”

Watch the full incident:

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