Police investigating after noose found outside Framingham charter school on Juneteenth
“This racist act is abhorrent and stands in opposition to everything McAuliffe stands for and hopes to achieve.”
A police investigation is underway in Framingham after a noose was found hanging outside the Christa McAuliffe Charter School on Juneteenth, school officials announced this week. Members of the McAuliffe leadership wrote in a letter to the community on Wednesday that police reported to school officials that the noose was found “hanging from a structure outside a building” on campus on June 19, the holiday that commemorates when the last enslaved African Americans learned they were free in 1865. Because of COVID-19, officials said no classes or school programming was happening on campus at the time. “The police are still investigating this hateful act against our McAuliffe community, and so we do not currently know who is responsible,” school executive director Kristin Harrison, incoming executive director Frank Tipton, and Bob Berman, chairman of the school’s Board of Trustees, said in a joint statement. “What we do know is that this racist act is abhorrent and stands in opposition to everything McAuliffe stands for and hopes to achieve. It is also, unfortunately, yet another example of the hate-filled acts that we have seen take place across our country in response to individuals and communities, including members of the McAuliffe community, taking a stand against racist systems and structures.”
https://www.facebook.com/mcauliffecharter/posts/10157729355508495?__tn__=-R
The school officials said they “soundly reject” the act and urged anyone with information to contact the Framingham Police Department. The school is also making its counseling team available to support students as the summer starts. Support is also available for school employees, the officials said.
“We are inspired by those in our community who have already taken initiative and shown courage by speaking out against racist incidents and systems of racism and taking actions that reflect our values,” they wrote. “This summer we will redouble efforts to plan for the health, safety, and well-being of every McAuliffe scholar and staff member this fall — with a particular focus on supporting our Black community members who were targeted in this incident. We will also continue to work with other Framingham-area civic institutions to build a just and equitable community.”
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