Son’s Jersey Featured In Racist Hanging Scene, And Mom Says The Massachusetts School Tried To Downplay It

The mother of a Black high school student has spoken out after her son's athletic jersey was displayed on a yellow plastic "children at play" figure, suspended from a locker room pipe with a belt around its neck at Wayland High School in Wayland, Massachusetts, on October 30. Following the discovery of this troubling effigy, school officials initiated an investigation to identify those responsible. Principal Allyson Mizoguchi condemned this "centuries-old symbol of hate," asserting that such acts have no place in the community, while Superintendent David Fleishman emphasized the incident's violation of safety and the values of the district. The two students responsible received a week's suspension, prompting the affected boy's mother to express her heartbreak over their impending return. An ongoing police investigation, involving local prosecutors and the Anti-Defamation League, has raised concerns from community members regarding transparency. The mother has called for justice and emphasized that her son should not have to share educational spaces with the offenders.