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A spray-painted, overtly racist message targeting Superintendent Dr. Omar Easy was discovered on a community pool wall in Wayland around 7:30 a.m. on December 21, 2023, as reported by Daily Voice. The graffiti said "OMAR = N****R," according to a complaint Easy filed to the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination on Friday, Feb, 10.
Read more here: Racist Graffiti Targeting Wayland Superintendent Found Near High School: Officials
The complaint claimed the following organizations and individuals discriminated against Easy, through either action or inaction:
- Wayland School Committee
- Wayland Public Schools
- Town of Wayland
- Chris Ryan, Chair of the Wayland School Committee
- Ellen Grieco, Vice Chair, Wayland School Committee
The complaint states that the racist graffiti found in December was not the first explicitly racist act committed against Easy and other Black employees and students in Wayland.
Easy was placed on administrative leave on Wednesday, Feb. 8, without being provided a reason, his complaint states.
The superintendent highlights the achievements of his tenure at Wayland Public Schools, including securing over $460,000 in grants, and says that the School Committee has rated his performance as Proficient in the past.
"Despite my objective accomplishments as Superintendent, members of the School Committee—chiefly Chair Ryan and Vice Chair Grieco—have subjected me to unlawful discrimination based upon my race, and retaliation for opposing unlawful discrimination," said the complaint. "This unlawful conduct has included, without limitation, racial stereotyping, undermining, abusive and disparate treatment, unjustified and highly subjective attacks regarding my reputation and character, and the persistent failure to remedy a severe and pervasive racially hostile work environment."
The complaint contests that Easy was told that Black people lack leadership skills in an interview, received an email from a Wayland employee calling him a “thug and a destroyer,” and numerous other incidents Easy identifies as "microaggressions ... undermining, and the not-so-subtle endorsement of bigotry."
Easy claims that he requested video cameras be placed in school halls after the December graffiti and was accused of “destroying Wayland’s culture” and “bringing Everett culture to Wayland."
Wayland High School already has video cameras installed in its halls, according to the complaint.
The accusations were a "thinly veiled racist reference to my majority-minority hometown and prior employer," the complaint said. "Despite issuing a blanket statement condemning the racist graffiti, the School Committee refused to support me and ultimately, I was unable to implement the hallway cameras."
The School Committee explored disciplinary action against Easy on the grounds of a complaint that the superintendent called "highly subjective" and "containing age-old racist stereotypes," according to court documents.
The School Committee issued a statement in response to Easy's complaint on Saturday, Feb. 11, saying that the committee is unable to comment on any specific allegations.
"However, the School Committee wishes to reiterate that the Wayland Public Schools seeks to foster a welcoming, inclusive, anti-racist environment; our actions have and will continue to demonstrate a commitment to those principles," the statement said. "We are asking the members of our school community for their patience during this time."
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