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On Monday, May 24, students at Fairfield Warde High School orchestrated a mass walkout of hundreds of students that were also in collaboration with students across town at Ludlowe High School.
In total, upwards of 600 students reportedly walked out in Fairfield on Monday, which lasted a few hours, featuring speeches and some of the teens sharing their own experiences with race in the area.
According to the organizers of the walkout, the event came together last week after two brothers reported to authorities that they were victimized in two separate racist incidents at the high schools.
Both walkouts were arranged by student equity groups at Warde and Ludlowe high schools.
A 16-year-old student at Warde High School was arrested and charged with second-degree breach of peace and ridicule on account of creed, religion, color, denomination, nationality, or race after creating a racist Snapchat post, according to police.
The teenager allegedly posted a photo of a classmate, Jamar Medor, overlaid with text that included a racial slur.
Following that incident, the weekend after that, Medor’s brother, Jake, was also allegedly called a racial slur in a verbal attack involving Ludlowe students.
Fairfield Ludlowe High School officials took to social media to tout the students involved in the walkout, posting: “Peaceful and powerful rally staged by the students in honor of promoting equality and condemning racism.”
In response to the initial incident, Fairfield Warde Principal Paul Cavanna said the district is forming the Warde Unity Coalition, which will “be charged with proactively addressing issues of discrimination.”
“The Warde Way of being Welcoming and Respectful are the core values of our school community. We must ensure that WARDE is more than just an acronym, but a true reflection of what we practice each and every day,” he said.
“Finally, please know that incidents of this nature do not define our school. It is the manner in which we respond that will define our school community moving forward.”
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