Wayland community members gathered for an anti-hate rally on Monday, Nov. 3 from 7:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.. The rally was organized by Wayland Community Action Network (Wayland CAN).
The rally took place in response to the racist incident reported on Oct. 31, where a “children at play” figure wearing the jersey of a black athlete was found hanging by a belt in the boys locker room.
“I found out on Monday that students processed this over the weekend,” METCO academic liaison Mike Liddell said. “I got some different responses on Monday. [Some] students felt that because this does reoccur that the punishment for the crimes that have happened in the past have not been severe enough.”
The gathering involved high schoolers, parents, community members, teachers and others. Principal Allyson Mizoguchi and Superintendent David Fleishman were also in attendance. Police personnel were stationed outside the gathering to ensure the safety of the attendees and people crossing the street.
“The rally is a visible way for neighbors to show support for black students and families who may feel unseen or unsafe right now,” the Wayland CAN executive board said.
Among those present at the rally were Massachusetts State Senator James Eldridge and Massachusetts State Representative Carmine Gentile. After the two were informed of the incident, Eldridge and Gentile attended the rally to show support for the Wayland community.
“It’s not acceptable behavior,” Gentile said. “It’s a problem that we’ve confronted last year and before that. People are doing things that are unlawful, that are despicable and [they’re] not suffering from the consequences of [their actions].”
The “children at play” figure hanging from the ceiling evokes images of lynching, the killings carried out by white mobs in the South during the 19th and 20th centuries to instill fear in Black communities.
“I think it’s important not just to stand today at a rally in support of the student [and] against an act of hate, but [to consider] how do we come together to prevent these things from happening in the future,” Eldrige said. “And that takes longer term, deeper conversations.”
The investigation into the incident is still active. According to a press statement released by the Wayland Police Department, the parents of the athlete reported the act on Oct. 31, at 8:30 a.m..
“No person should ever be subjected to hate speech or discriminatory behavior,” the press statement read. “This incident is deeply troubling, and we take it with the utmost seriousness.”
Following the report from the parents of the athletes, Wayland Police contacted the Middlesex District Attorney and are currently working with a prosecutor in the investigation.
While the investigation is still active, the police are unable to comment beyond the press releases. According to Mizoguchi, the police side of the investigation is completely separate from the actions Wayland High School is taking. However, WHS and the police still have direct communication.
The “children at play” traffic figure was first reported by a student passing by in the locker room. According to the memo sent by Mizoguchi, the students responsible for the act have been identified.
“I am very heartened to know that a literal passerby had felt strongly enough about what he saw to bring it to the attention of adults,” Mizoguchi said. “Which is what you want in a community, which is folks paying attention.”
This rally was not the first anti-hate movement that has happened in Wayland. Previous rallys include a rally in response to the swastika graffiti found on the Wayland Community Pool on March 6. Additionally, there was racist graffiti sprayed on the pool against former Superintendent Omar Easy in 2022. There was also a rally against racism at the Wayland Middle School after racist graffiti was found in the middle school bathroom in 2021.
“I think it’s really important that everybody’s out here showing their support,” senior Ben Hammond said. “But let’s move forward and not let this act of just one person represent the rest of us.”
At this rally and previous ones, community members brought signs, banners and flags to show their support against hate. The hope was for this rally to raise awareness and prevent another hate incident from happening.
“It becomes so important for our students to feel empowered to express their concern about something that they may encounter,” Mizoguchi said. “Because, they may be encountering it in a space that we wouldn’t have confirmation of otherwise.”
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