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3-12-2022 12:15am
Middle School Students, Staff Receive Racist and Hateful AirDrop Messages at School
Darlene Cancell
Editor
On Thursday, March 10, 2022, Superintendent Emily Parks notified Westwood Public School families by email of an incident of racism the previous day, in which the perpetrator used the AirDrop feature of iPhones to send a number of messages that were "racist" or "hateful" to several students and staff at Thurston Middle School.
The email from Ms. Parks included a copy of a letter dated March 9, 2022 by Thurston Middle School Principal Michael Redmon to the Thurston Community. In his letter, Mr. Redmon described the incidents as "highly inappropriate, offensive, and racist messages sent by anonymous users."
One student received a message with an "unkind image intended to make fun of the recipient." Another student received a message "that used a vulgar phrase about President Biden." Additional students received a message "that included a racial slur (N-word)."
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The AirDrop feature allows iPhone users to instantly share digital media with other users within approximately 30 feet, wrote Mr. Redmon. He stated that because the offensive messages were sent by iPhones that were not school-issued, AirDrop could not be blocked or traced by the school's internet safety features.
Principal Redman outlined four ways he plans to address the incidents:
- There will be strict enforcement of an existing rule prohibiting cell phone use at the school.
- The school will offer educational opportunities to "prevent bullying, harassment, and acts of racism."
- An investigation will continue to try to identify the perpetrators.
- On May 4, 2022, the school district will offer an evening presentation on how parents can help children deal with challenges from social relationships and social media.
"At TMS, we do not tolerate racist, offensive, and harassing behavior," stated Mr. Redmon, who also wrote that he plans to highlight the kind spirit of Thurston students in the coming spring.
