Students accused of bullying a Black basketball player with monkey noises during a school game have been suspended from their Michigan school district—but it was not enough for parents and community members who claim the district is too soft on racism.
Despite the students’ punishment, parents and teachers continued to call out racism that pervades Jenison Public Schools at a board meeting Monday night.
Jenison Public Schools director of communications Peter DeGraaf told The Daily Beast Tuesday that the students responsible for the racist behavior had been given “out-of-school disciplinary action.” He didn’t specify what that entailed or how many students were involved; however, Michigan media outlet MLive reported that the students were suspended.
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At Monday’s meeting in Georgetown Township, Superintendent Brandon Graham told the Jenison Board of Education that district officials were trying to find a way to create a more inclusive atmosphere for students, MLive reported. He added that staff members met with members of the NAACP for assistance. According to MLive, Graham wants to increase staff diversity, boost conversations among students about diversity, and make it easier for students to report racial incidents.
“It’s really important that we understand that our approach is not just the response to this isolated incident,” Graham said, according to MLive.
He added that the district needed to determine what the “meaningful steps are for us to develop a sense of belonging… and building cultural competency in our students and adults.”
On Dec. 16, Jenison Senior High School played a basketball game against Wyoming High School, in which a Black player on the team was ridiculed with monkey taunts.
Afterward, the mother of the student posted about the incident on Facebook.
“I’m just disgusted at how Jenison High School student section started making monkey noises as my son was on the free throw line,” Capriece Polson wrote, along with a video of her son at the free throw line. “Wait but not only the noise but if you look closely you can see one of the students actually acting like a monkey. Just know the superintendent, principal and [athletic director] will be receiving a email with this video. This needs to STOP and these kids need to be held accountable.”
The original video of the incident was posted by Jenison alumna Rachel Pierce. Pierce’s post received more than a thousand shares, 550 comments, and over 600 reactions.
On Dec. 16, Graham sent an email to district families about “racist behavior” at the basketball game that night and released a public statement, MLive reported. However, the statement had been deleted from the district’s Facebook page by Tuesday.
At Monday’s meeting, the superintendent appeared to have an optimistic outlook after the racist incident, but dozens of community members took the opportunity to voice their frustration.
Joe Spalding, a local political activist, posted community members’ testimonies to the school board on Twitter.
“What have you done to remind the kids and staff that racism will not be tolerated in schools?” Polson asked the board, claiming board members did not act swiftly or severely enough. “What have you done since this incident to educate your students, your staff members?”
Polson’s mother also addressed the board, saying her grandson should have been protected during the game.
“This system is failing,” she said. “I’m very upset; he can’t go out here and play a game that he loves.”
She said she was “disgusted” with the coaches and referees.
“This is clearly a systemic issue in our district. The softhand approach to discipline… has created a safe place—not a safe place for minority students—but a safe place for racism and bigotry,” a parent said at the meeting. “You had the opportunity to send a clear and concise message to your students, administrators, and parents… Unfortunately, I feel you have fallen short.”
An English teacher in the district claimed that racism was so rampant that a lot of students didn’t bother reporting it.
Alumni of Jenison public schools claimed similar racist incidents happened while they were in school and that nothing has changed over the years.
In DeGraaf's statement Tuesday, he said “racism is an issue that affects not only individuals, but entire communities.” He said the district recognizes, as educators, that they’re “not experts on areas of race, and it’s crucial [they] partner with others to bridge gaps and build sustainable solutions.”
“We will continue to work with other organizations and experts, other school districts, and members of the community,” he said. “We understand that addressing issues like racism is an ongoing process that takes time and that there is always room for improvement. We are committed to continuously evaluating and adjusting our strategies to better serve and teach our students, families, and community.”
