On Dec. 6 the Black Student Union worked with the Student Government Association to transition a planned pep rally into a forum for BSU leaders to speak out about the lack of initiative from administration regarding anti-Black incidents in the school. The BSU student and teacher leaders spoke to the students, faculty and MCPS central office administrators about the inadequate responses and the extensive work that BSU had done previously to support and guide administrators to properly address the incidents. Throughout the pep rally a message was made clear to those in attendance: The proper steps are not being taken when a hate bias incident is occuring in the school.
A racist action by a student that occurred on Dec. 2, and led to the Dec. 6 pep rally change is not an isolated one. BSU leaders made it clear that hate incidents have been committed in past years with similar “lackluster” responses from administration. In the previous year a walkout had similarly been organized by BSU and Minority Scholars Program leaders to emphasize the desire they have for administrators to do their jobs and correctly report the incidents.
In the 2023-2024 school year, there were 12 reported incidents of hate bias. In the first semester of the 2024-2025 school year alone, that number has already been surpassed, with there being 13 incidents of reported hate bias at the time of publication. What has previously been done to prevent hate bias incidents from occurring has not been effective, and as a result, administration has started to incorporate other measures in hopes of getting this number down.
While students might be familiar with the hate bias form that is available to students and staff to report hate bias incidents, the process of reporting and determining the response to specific incidents isn’t widely known information. After the hate bias incident has occurred, the first step in the reporting procedures listed by MCPS is to complete MCPS form 226-5, the hate bias incident reporting form. Next, the principal or designee conducts a preliminary investigation of the incident to determine the “context; the degree (scope and scale) of intent, risk, threat, or targeted violence posed by an individual or group,” according to FY25 Hate Bias Incidents Reporting Procedures.
From there a central support team is recommended to determine the severity of the incident and code it yellow, orange or red. The BTAT or Behavioral Threat Assessment Team may be enacted at that point. Once the severity of the incident has been determined by the team, a process is designated to each of the three color-coded outcomes.
Firstly, the least severe incidents, yellow, will be handled at the school level. The Emergency Communications Center is not contacted for these incidents but the Office of School Support and Improvement (OSSI) is called to consult and inform, but not as a serious incident. In this case there is no classroom or community message that is released, though parents of students involved are contacted.
For orange level incidents, the OSSI is contacted to determine response and MCPD is contacted for consultation and data tracking. The communication of the incident is then based upon the collective decision of school administration and central office support.
Finally, with red level incidents, the first step is to report to MCPD and OSSI. A community letter is written with support of the central office support for distribution. If possible, this letter is supposed to be sent the same day. Regarding the protocols, it is then determined if the proper steps were taken by administrators and staff when the incident was reported.
The reason for of the Friday, Dec. 6 pep rally change was the lack of action after the incident that had occurred on the previous Monday, when an important step that was missed was the reporting of the initial incident by staff. “The hate-bias incident should be reported immediately to an adult in the building. Our school community can’t investigate something we don’t know anything about and we need to work collectively to ensure everyone feels valued, heard, and respected,” Assistant Principal Stephanie Labbe said.
Although reporting incidents is key to preventing hate incidents from happening again, administration is also focusing on stopping hate at its root. Acting Principal Dr. Joseph Bostic has been working at this school only since late December, yet has a plan to create unity across the school. Dr. Bostic emphasizes the importance of completing the Culture of Respect lesson, wearing IDs every day and reading the weekly community messages.
Administration created a longer advisory period on Dec. 18 to encourage completion of the full Culture of Respect lesson and has had makeup advisories where students are held accountable for not completing the lesson and have another designated period to complete it. The Culture of Respect lesson went from having 21% of students completing it on Dec. 13 to having a 66.9% rate on Jan. 16. By enforcing a higher completion rate, Dr. Bostic hopes that students will embody the virtues taught during the lesson and follow the code of conduct more closely.
Dr. Bostic also endorsed the IDs for All policy. By encouraging all students to wear their IDs every day, students identify themselves as a part of the Wootton community and an active member of the school. Dr. Bostic’s plan focuses mainly on creating unity and a safe space to help students feel a stronger sense of belonging, making them more kind and understanding to each other.
This policy also has the intended effect of holding students more accountable for their actions. If they don’t have the shield of anonymity typically found when students are unidentified, they will most likely think twice about doing something they shouldn’t.
Moreover, Dr. Bostic has combined the staff’s weekly community messages with the student ones in an effort to make students feel like administrators are not keeping secrets from them. He encourages students to read the community messages to inform themselves of all occurrences in the school and to encourage a more active role in the community. “I believe we need to collectively build a community where everyone feels valued, seen, and heard, and where we work collectively as a team and family to make a difference. Together, we can create a sense of belonging that inspires and empowers us all,” Dr. Bostic said.
Since his arrival, Dr. Bostic has met with student leader groups to prioritize student engagement and input. Dr. Bostic has started surveying student leaders on what they feel should be the main focus of administration; physical safety of students, psychological safety of students, exploring creative scheduling, or supporting the well-being of students overall.
As of the date of publication, there have been six responses, yet students still feel connected by the measures being taken. “I appreciate Dr. Bostic taking initiative to reach out to different student communities and being so open to feedback. I think this will foster a greater understanding between staff and different student communities, therefore creating a safe and uniting environment,” junior and Hispanic Student Union member Sol Berrellez said.
Although procedure rules how incidents are handled, students’ feelings about the impact of administrative changes are what matters. After a school year filled with concerns regarding the increase in hate incidents, supporting students and prioritizing safety is at the forefront of teachers and students alike. With a new plan in place to connect and protect the community, students are hopeful that these changes will shine through in the attitude of students.
