Does anybody know the incident recently happened in Sidwell?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Serious question...how would one insert a swastika into a username? Is there a font that includes that symbol?

No idea. According to the article, this requires finding and downloading some special characters to your phone, certainly not from a mainstream website. Suggests the kid is going to great lengths and fishing some dark Nazi corners of the Internet. Needs to be found and expelled immediately IMHO. Parents need to get this kid some deprogramming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Two kids at Flint Hill drew a swastika on a white board afterschool and I think they were expelled?

This is so much more hurtful to students in the audience to have that hateful symbol flashed on a big screen in front of them.
Kids have to find a way to rebel but c'mon, man.

Agree. This is hate speech. They need to find out who did this and expel them. I’m sure Sideell will do the right thing and are trying to figure out who is responsible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Someone hit the nail on the head upthread about the Sidwell bubble. These kids are products of a very progressive Sidwell bubble. So when they look to rebel, what do they do?
They seek to get a rise out of their liberal parents and teachers. I don’t believe these kids believe what they’ve written. They are just pushing back in a destructive way. That doesn’t mean they wish actual harm on others. It doesn’t mean they have any understanding of what these words do to other people.
I don’t have kids are Sidwell, but I would give admin a chance to investigate.

I tend to agree with you to a point. Throw in massive lack of impulse control and thrill-seeking that plagues teens (good and bad ones) and you get this sort of stupidity. I've seen it more with my kids (13 and 15) (one in public HS and one in private MS) than in the younger years. My 13 yo reported this fall that a teammate telling a racist joke at a sports practice. My 15 y/o knows their was disciplinary action against a 14 yr old involved in her extracurricular for racist texts sent in a group-chat. You'd think teens would "know better" but they're more prone to stupidity. BUT if as you say, these kids lack an "understanding of what these words do to other people," that's a MAJOR flaw in their education. We talk about this stuff at home, the books my middle school student is assigned address these issues and his school regularly addresses related issues in Chapels, in advisory discussions and throughout class discussions led by teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a Sidwell parent I am confident the school administration will handle this swiftly and with as much transparency as they feel appropriate. My greater concern is my DC and our family are is in our first year at Sidwell and in private school and one element of the culture that we have been really troubled by from the start is the “Sidwell bubble.” It is pervasive in everything about the school and while some take it to mean a community of inclusiveness it just doesn’t always feel that way in the student or parent communities, at least for a new comer. It is distressing to say it but I’m honestly troubled but not surprised by this incident. There is so much pressure to conform and not enough acknowledgment of its impact. That couple with greater intolerance in our country is bound to lead to instances such as this. Here’s hoping it’s condemned as appropriate and also used as a valuable learning tool...

Are you saying that if a school creates a culture that prioritizes inclusion and vilifies intolerance, the natural consequence of that choice is rebellion in the form of genocidal iconography? Like conservative kids feel oppressed so they are forced to adopt radically homicidal views? Because that is bats*%$. Here's a likelier explanation: kids who identify as right-wing (i.e. come from right-wing families, because young people as a demographic are overwhelmingly liberal) are increasingly becoming radicalized by the unhinged, autocratic, and overtly racist regime currently in power. As the administration -- and specifically the demagogue who "leads" it -- ventures further and further from mainstream conservatism and into rambling radical fascism, so too do the young people who have been taught to identify with him and his policies. Instead of being worried about a bubble of inclusion and disdain for intolerance, you should be worried about kids who are taught that an elderly racist half-wit is a good role model.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a Sidwell parent I am confident the school administration will handle this swiftly and with as much transparency as they feel appropriate. My greater concern is my DC and our family are is in our first year at Sidwell and in private school and one element of the culture that we have been really troubled by from the start is the “Sidwell bubble.” It is pervasive in everything about the school and while some take it to mean a community of inclusiveness it just doesn’t always feel that way in the student or parent communities, at least for a new comer. It is distressing to say it but I’m honestly troubled but not surprised by this incident. There is so much pressure to conform and not enough acknowledgment of its impact. That couple with greater intolerance in our country is bound to lead to instances such as this. Here’s hoping it’s condemned as appropriate and also used as a valuable learning tool...

Are you saying that if a school creates a culture that prioritizes inclusion and vilifies intolerance, the natural consequence of that choice is rebellion in the form of genocidal iconography? Like conservative kids feel oppressed so they are forced to adopt radically homicidal views? Because that is bats*%$. Here's a likelier explanation: kids who identify as right-wing (i.e. come from right-wing families, because young people as a demographic are overwhelmingly liberal) are increasingly becoming radicalized by the unhinged, autocratic, and overtly racist regime currently in power. As the administration -- and specifically the demagogue who "leads" it -- ventures further and further from mainstream conservatism and into rambling radical fascism, so too do the young people who have been taught to identify with him and his policies. Instead of being worried about a bubble of inclusion and disdain for intolerance, you should be worried about kids who are taught that an elderly racist half-wit is a good role model.

It definitely is.

This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell is notorious amongst parents for having an impossible to predict discipline policy..even the student handbook leaves the actual consequences essentially up for customization...while often cited as a source for "the rules" when discipline does occur...the handbook is used as needed, when convenient to cite, by administrators who make up the consequences for kids on a case by case basis. Is that a good thing? Not sure. As a Sidwell parent I have seen the school mostly make good calls when it comes to discipline I have heard about--- but I have also seen countless instances where prominent parents' kids act out or kids of families associated with the Board act out, and the school goes much lighter on those kids. This is especially the case when the acting out happens on digital or social media which is a domain the school essentially has no articulated policy or training for kids on. Sometimes they address issues when bullying or sexting occurs on social media, usually they don't..it all kind of depends...it doesn't feel like a safe environment in this respect.

The heads of middle and upper school respectively do not have strong leadership skills or policy on this...it is a common complaint..If you ask kids at Sidwell what the discipline policy is in Middle School or in Upper School, they simply can not tell you. I hope this incident propels the administration of the school to start acting with consistency and clarity so kids stop feeling they are on unfair playing fields when some kids get disciplined for acts others are ignored for--and so kids can know with clarity what the consequences are for various forms of bad behavior.

this comment with respect to discipline in the middle school seems accurate. however it's *not* at all accurate with respect to the upper school. we are new to the upper school, and there are very clear policies about behavior, and the school leaders seem to adhere to that. (ie there is a point system, and students are allocated points for lateness, rudeness, skipping class etc, and once you reach a certain number of points, then you have silent study hall during lunch time for a week, etc.). it's a very consistent, clear system and seems to work.

however this incident is so serious that I would assume it would have far greater disciplinary response. as a parent, I would like follow up from Bryan on whether they find those who did this and would like to hear about the punishment. our freshman became aware only of the swastikas in the user name and wasn't aware of any user names regarding Asian or Native Americans. evidently it all happened fast and there was gasping and stunned silence and an abrupt end of the presentation. the presentation was being given by a student about his service project and he was apparently quite devastated. students, parents, faculty, admin are all dismayed. it's very upsetting that this happened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell is notorious amongst parents for having an impossible to predict discipline policy..even the student handbook leaves the actual consequences essentially up for customization...while often cited as a source for "the rules" when discipline does occur...the handbook is used as needed, when convenient to cite, by administrators who make up the consequences for kids on a case by case basis. Is that a good thing? Not sure. As a Sidwell parent I have seen the school mostly make good calls when it comes to discipline I have heard about--- but I have also seen countless instances where prominent parents' kids act out or kids of families associated with the Board act out, and the school goes much lighter on those kids. This is especially the case when the acting out happens on digital or social media which is a domain the school essentially has no articulated policy or training for kids on. Sometimes they address issues when bullying or sexting occurs on social media, usually they don't..it all kind of depends...it doesn't feel like a safe environment in this respect.

The heads of middle and upper school respectively do not have strong leadership skills or policy on this...it is a common complaint..If you ask kids at Sidwell what the discipline policy is in Middle School or in Upper School, they simply can not tell you. I hope this incident propels the administration of the school to start acting with consistency and clarity so kids stop feeling they are on unfair playing fields when some kids get disciplined for acts others are ignored for--and so kids can know with clarity what the consequences are for various forms of bad behavior.

Couldn’t agree more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell is notorious amongst parents for having an impossible to predict discipline policy..even the student handbook leaves the actual consequences essentially up for customization...while often cited as a source for "the rules" when discipline does occur...the handbook is used as needed, when convenient to cite, by administrators who make up the consequences for kids on a case by case basis. Is that a good thing? Not sure. As a Sidwell parent I have seen the school mostly make good calls when it comes to discipline I have heard about--- but I have also seen countless instances where prominent parents' kids act out or kids of families associated with the Board act out, and the school goes much lighter on those kids. This is especially the case when the acting out happens on digital or social media which is a domain the school essentially has no articulated policy or training for kids on. Sometimes they address issues when bullying or sexting occurs on social media, usually they don't..it all kind of depends...it doesn't feel like a safe environment in this respect.

The heads of middle and upper school respectively do not have strong leadership skills or policy on this...it is a common complaint..If you ask kids at Sidwell what the discipline policy is in Middle School or in Upper School, they simply can not tell you. I hope this incident propels the administration of the school to start acting with consistency and clarity so kids stop feeling they are on unfair playing fields when some kids get disciplined for acts others are ignored for--and so kids can know with clarity what the consequences are for various forms of bad behavior.

this comment with respect to discipline in the middle school seems accurate. however it's *not* at all accurate with respect to the upper school. we are new to the upper school, and there are very clear policies about behavior, and the school leaders seem to adhere to that. (ie there is a point system, and students are allocated points for lateness, rudeness, skipping class etc, and once you reach a certain number of points, then you have silent study hall during lunch time for a week, etc.). it's a very consistent, clear system and seems to work.

however this incident is so serious that I would assume it would have far greater disciplinary response. as a parent, I would like follow up from Bryan on whether they find those who did this and would like to hear about the punishment. our freshman became aware only of the swastikas in the user name and wasn't aware of any user names regarding Asian or Native Americans. evidently it all happened fast and there was gasping and stunned silence and an abrupt end of the presentation. the presentation was being given by a student about his service project and he was apparently quite devastated. students, parents, faculty, admin are all dismayed. it's very upsetting that this happened.

Just curious, what words were used in the usernames against Asian/Native Americans?

[Anonymous]

The letter from the HoS about the incident...

Dear Parents and Guardians,


I write to communicate troubling news that is necessary to share with the entire parent community.


This afternoon at a student assembly, Upper School students were gathered to hear a presentation about OnSide, a non-profit organization founded by a Sidwell Friends student that seeks to build community and understanding amongst refugee youths in the D.C. area through the game of soccer. At the conclusion of the program, the presenter engaged students in an online learning game called Kahoot, which allows participants to enter answers in real-time using their cell phones. These answers were projected onto the large screens in the Robert L. Smith Meeting Room. Several of the usernames projected onto the screen were racist toward Asians and Native Americans; two usernames included swastikas. As soon as these images were recognized, the Assistant Dean of Students signaled the presenters to turn off the projection and end the presentation. We have begun a thorough investigation into the matter to ascertain the identity of the students responsible for this action.


We are deeply disheartened and disturbed by this incident, which is an extremely serious breach of our School's honor code and harassment policy. There is no place for hate in our community, and I will address the Upper School about the seriousness of the matter tomorrow morning.


I am disappointed, dismayed, and deeply sorry that such an incident could take place at our School. Racism and anti-semitism will not be tolerated in this community. We must strive always to live the question posed in our diversity statement: "How do we nurture a sense of belonging in our community and demonstrate our commitment to a just world?" We will continue, after the manner of Friends, to pursue this query. We are grateful to be in partnership with you as we affirm our values. And we will be in touch as we process this matter and develop appropriate programs to address it.


In peace,


Bryan Garman

Head of School





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[Anonymous]

Did you all read the Huff post article, which included the SFS HOS letter (in the updated report)? It read as a pretty swift, decisive and unequivocal first step which indicated further action and investigation is occurring.

Let's give the school a chance to get to the bottom of the situation without hysterical knee jerk reactions. Let's not get on social media and give our uninformed opinions. Let's not all announce that our kids' school is better and that this would never happen there. Because something ugly happens everywhere.

Let's try to be reasonable and constructive. Hatred should not be tolerated. But neither should uninformed responses.

Signed,
parent of a different DC private school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did you all read the Huff post article, which included the SFS HOS letter (in the updated report)? It read as a pretty swift, decisive and unequivocal first step which indicated further action and investigation is occurring.

Let's give the school a chance to get to the bottom of the situation without hysterical knee jerk reactions. Let's not get on social media and give our uninformed opinions. Let's not all announce that our kids' school is better and that this would never happen there. Because something ugly happens everywhere.

Let's try to be reasonable and constructive. Hatred should not be tolerated. But neither should uninformed responses.

Signed,
parent of a different DC private school

Good post. Totally agree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell is notorious amongst parents for having an impossible to predict discipline policy..even the student handbook leaves the actual consequences essentially up for customization...while often cited as a source for "the rules" when discipline does occur...the handbook is used as needed, when convenient to cite, by administrators who make up the consequences for kids on a case by case basis. Is that a good thing? Not sure. As a Sidwell parent I have seen the school mostly make good calls when it comes to discipline I have heard about--- but I have also seen countless instances where prominent parents' kids act out or kids of families associated with the Board act out, and the school goes much lighter on those kids. This is especially the case when the acting out happens on digital or social media which is a domain the school essentially has no articulated policy or training for kids on. Sometimes they address issues when bullying or sexting occurs on social media, usually they don't..it all kind of depends...it doesn't feel like a safe environment in this respect.

The heads of middle and upper school respectively do not have strong leadership skills or policy on this...it is a common complaint..If you ask kids at Sidwell what the discipline policy is in Middle School or in Upper School, they simply can not tell you. I hope this incident propels the administration of the school to start acting with consistency and clarity so kids stop feeling they are on unfair playing fields when some kids get disciplined for acts others are ignored for--and so kids can know with clarity what the consequences are for various forms of bad behavior.

this comment with respect to discipline in the middle school seems accurate. however it's *not* at all accurate with respect to the upper school. we are new to the upper school, and there are very clear policies about behavior, and the school leaders seem to adhere to that. (ie there is a point system, and students are allocated points for lateness, rudeness, skipping class etc, and once you reach a certain number of points, then you have silent study hall during lunch time for a week, etc.). it's a very consistent, clear system and seems to work.

however this incident is so serious that I would assume it would have far greater disciplinary response. as a parent, I would like follow up from Bryan on whether they find those who did this and would like to hear about the punishment. our freshman became aware only of the swastikas in the user name and wasn't aware of any user names regarding Asian or Native Americans. evidently it all happened fast and there was gasping and stunned silence and an abrupt end of the presentation. the presentation was being given by a student about his service project and he was apparently quite devastated. students, parents, faculty, admin are all dismayed. it's very upsetting that this happened.

Just curious, what words were used in the usernames against Asian/Native Americans?

I don’t even understand where hatred for Asians, Native Americans or Jews comes from - especially from a young person.
Aren’t some of these people their classmates as well? So they have no regard for their own classmates?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sidwell is notorious amongst parents for having an impossible to predict discipline policy..even the student handbook leaves the actual consequences essentially up for customization...while often cited as a source for "the rules" when discipline does occur...the handbook is used as needed, when convenient to cite, by administrators who make up the consequences for kids on a case by case basis. Is that a good thing? Not sure. As a Sidwell parent I have seen the school mostly make good calls when it comes to discipline I have heard about--- but I have also seen countless instances where prominent parents' kids act out or kids of families associated with the Board act out, and the school goes much lighter on those kids. This is especially the case when the acting out happens on digital or social media which is a domain the school essentially has no articulated policy or training for kids on. Sometimes they address issues when bullying or sexting occurs on social media, usually they don't..it all kind of depends...it doesn't feel like a safe environment in this respect.

The heads of middle and upper school respectively do not have strong leadership skills or policy on this...it is a common complaint..If you ask kids at Sidwell what the discipline policy is in Middle School or in Upper School, they simply can not tell you. I hope this incident propels the administration of the school to start acting with consistency and clarity so kids stop feeling they are on unfair playing fields when some kids get disciplined for acts others are ignored for--and so kids can know with clarity what the consequences are for various forms of bad behavior.

this comment with respect to discipline in the middle school seems accurate. however it's *not* at all accurate with respect to the upper school. we are new to the upper school, and there are very clear policies about behavior, and the school leaders seem to adhere to that. (ie there is a point system, and students are allocated points for lateness, rudeness, skipping class etc, and once you reach a certain number of points, then you have silent study hall during lunch time for a week, etc.). it's a very consistent, clear system and seems to work.

however this incident is so serious that I would assume it would have far greater disciplinary response. as a parent, I would like follow up from Bryan on whether they find those who did this and would like to hear about the punishment. our freshman became aware only of the swastikas in the user name and wasn't aware of any user names regarding Asian or Native Americans. evidently it all happened fast and there was gasping and stunned silence and an abrupt end of the presentation. the presentation was being given by a student about his service project and he was apparently quite devastated. students, parents, faculty, admin are all dismayed. it's very upsetting that this happened.

Just curious, what words were used in the usernames against Asian/Native Americans?

I don’t even understand where hatred for Asians, Native Americans or Jews comes from - especially from a young person.
Aren’t some of these people their classmates as well? So they have no regard for their own classmates?

Parents. That’s why schools need to vet parents more carefully. They poison communities if their views are intolerant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did you all read the Huff post article, which included the SFS HOS letter (in the updated report)? It read as a pretty swift, decisive and unequivocal first step which indicated further action and investigation is occurring.

Let's give the school a chance to get to the bottom of the situation without hysterical knee jerk reactions. Let's not get on social media and give our uninformed opinions. Let's not all announce that our kids' school is better and that this would never happen there. Because something ugly happens everywhere.

Let's try to be reasonable and constructive. Hatred should not be tolerated. But neither should uninformed responses.

Signed,
parent of a different DC private school

Good post. Totally agree.

This. And, instead of using our time to spout uninformed opinions, let's talk with our kids about any of the many atrocities committed against minority groups, about how they happened in a nuanced way. Let's take them to the Holocaust museum to meet a survivor. Let's have a dinner conversation about how scary a swastika could feel to a Jewish kid. Let's be parents and have the tough conversations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did you all read the Huff post article, which included the SFS HOS letter (in the updated report)? It read as a pretty swift, decisive and unequivocal first step which indicated further action and investigation is occurring.

Let's give the school a chance to get to the bottom of the situation without hysterical knee jerk reactions. Let's not get on social media and give our uninformed opinions. Let's not all announce that our kids' school is better and that this would never happen there. Because something ugly happens everywhere.

Let's try to be reasonable and constructive. Hatred should not be tolerated. But neither should uninformed responses.

Signed,
parent of a different DC private school

this, because HELLO! it's happening at all of our beloved DMV schools, public and private.