Following ‘mock slave trade,’ AG Campbell issues action plan for Southwick schools

Earlier this year, students in the Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School District were found to have participated in a “mock slave trade” on social media. Now, Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s office is stepping in to work with school officials on making sure racist bullying like that does not occur again. 

In February, multiple eighth-grade students used Snapchat outside of school hours to conduct the mock slave trade, according to Campell’s office. During it, they named their Black classmates and invited them to join in on the chat. 

More allegations are contained in a complaint filed by Lawyers for Civil Rights against the district on behalf of a student who was targeted by the bullying and her mother. The complaint, filed in April, also details incidents of racism the student faced in the months leading up to the February incident, where she was allegedly “bid” on. 

School leaders investigated the incident and disciplined the students involved, according to Campbell’s office. 

Campbell’s office worked with the Southwick school district, the Greater Springfield NAACP, and those involved in the February incident to create a new action plan. It lays out 12 points on how Campbell’s office and others hope to promote tolerance and decrease bullying. 

“Hate continues to persist throughout our country, and sadly, Massachusetts is no exception. As attorney general and the mother of two young children, I have prioritized supporting school districts in creating inclusive environments where racism, hate, and extremism are not tolerated in the first place. Our resolution with the Southwick School District not only addresses the egregious racist incident that occurred last school year, but it creates a model for combatting hate in a comprehensive, preventive, and systemic manner,” Campbell said in a statement.

“I will continue to take on racism and hate in all its forms, and my office is ready to partner with school districts across the state to ensure they understand their legal obligations and have the resources and support needed to build inclusive and safe school cultures,” she added. 

Southwick Superintendent Jennifer Willard’s office did not comment on the incident further and referred questions to Campbell’s office when contacted Tuesday. 

As part of the action plan, school officials will review policies and training practices to make sure they are in compliance with anti-discrimination and anti-bullying laws. Willard and her leadership team attended a two-day training in March led by Northeastern University’s Center for the Study for Sport in Society about addressing hate in schools. The Northeastern team then hosted a training session at a student assembly in June. 

The district is continuing to work with the Hampden District Attorney’s Office on programs for parents, community members, and younger students. 

In May, the district contracted with the William James College Center for Behavioral Health, Equity, and Leadership in Schools for a “comprehensive needs assessment” about school culture. This assessment is continuing through the summer, and recommendations will be made before the upcoming school year. District officials will also continue working with Campbell’s office throughout the next two school years to prevent hateful incidents from occurring. The district agreed to notify Campbell’s office if it becomes aware of any “credibly alleged hate-based bullying, harassment, or criminal conduct involving a student.”

The student involved in the complaint was allegedly called the N-word multiple times at school late last year and early this year, leading up to the “mock ‘slave auction’ where she was bid on by white students like chattel,” according to the document. 

School officials allegedly ignored recurring instances of racist bullying and harassment before the February incident. 

“Respondents’ responses to this ongoing pattern of racial harassment were anemic, weak, and ineffective—to the degree there was any response at all,” the complaint states.

Southwick Action Plan by Ross Cristantiello on Scribd