State orders changes following racist incidents at Southwick school
SOUTHWICK, Mass. (WWLP) – The Southwick Regional School District is being ordered by the state's education department to make some significant changes.
Racist language found written on bathroom wall in Southwick school district
This follows an investigation discovered that the district failed to handle racist incidents last year. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has released its report of the alleged racist bullying incident in the Southwick Regional School District last year.
Federal civil rights complaint filed against Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional School District
Six 8th grade students were criminally charged following an alleged online slave auction that targeted students of color. Three incidents were cited in this report—including a slave auction on social media that targeted students.
The complaint filed in February 2024, alleged that a student was subjected to derogatory racial slurs, an online slave auction, and insufficient response from school officials. In this 17-page report, DESE lays out a timeline of three incidents that took place in 2023 and 2024 and found discrepancies within the district's bullying prevention and intervention.
The district currently requires bullying reports to be, quote, 'viable' before an investigation is warranted, but DESE says that violates state regulation, it also found conflicting timelines for bullying investigations, citing both 14 days and 15 days. As for Title IX violations, DESE says the district failed to report and investigate racial bullying for two of the three incidents, saying the school district should have seen the pattern of a hostile environment based on the first two reports.
the report does highlight, however, long-term measures since implemented by the district, including:
Diversity, equity, and inclusion training
Student-led anti-bias education
Anonymous alert system to report bullying
Now the Southwick Regional School District has until April 4th to make changes to its policies, including the removal of the word 'viable' — align investigation timelines as well as notify staff of policy changes, especially guidance for reporting and investigating Title IX violations.
The department investigated whether the school district followed the requirements and procedure of investigating and addressing the bullying complaint. DESE found that the district failed to comply with Title IX because the school knew or should have known of a hostile environment based on race after the first incident. The department ordered corrective actions to take place, including updating the district's anti-bullying and prevention policy.
We have reached out to the Southwick Regional School District and we will have their responses to the report, as well as how the plan to meet DESE's April deadline once we hear back.
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
Mass. man sentenced to prison for trafficking counterfeit Adderall containing methamphetamine
BOSTON (WWLP) – A Lowell man was sentenced to prison last Wednesday for possession and distribution of counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine. Charging documents stated that 39-year-old Brian Gingras of Lowell was a drug supplier involved in the Asian Boyz Gang distribution network. Investigators found that between May 2022 and September 2022, Gingras delivered over 5,000 counterfeit Adderall pills to ABZ gang member Bill Phim. Mass. man arrested following deadly crash in November During this time, Phim reportedly then sold the counterfeit pills to an undercover federal agent for over $18,000. The pills were discovered through chemical testing to contain a dangerously high level of methamphetamine and caffeine. For his role in the conspiracy, Phim was sentenced in May 2025 to ten years in prison. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Gingras' home, where they found hundreds more counterfeit Adderall pills, counterfeit Xanax pills, and a pill press. Officers also found a storage unit containing a loaded firearm, over 30 kilograms of counterfeit Adderall pills containing only caffeine, bags of marijuana, and boxes of THC extract and edible products. In January 2025, Gingras pleaded guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Distribute and to Possess with Intent to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine, and one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine. Gingras was sentenced on June 4 to nine years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Mass. man arrested following deadly crash in November
HAMPTON, N.H. (WWLP) – A New Bedford man has been arrested in connection with driving in the wrong direction on I-95 in New Hampshire and causing a deadly crash in Massachusetts. New Hampshire State Police shared in a news release that 40-year-old Keoma Duarte of New Bedford, Mass. was arrested last Wednesday following an ongoing investigation into reckless driving and a deadly crash in November of 2024. Sidewalks to close Monday for repairs in Pittsfield On November 27, New Hampshire state troopers observed a Tesla driving southbound in the northbound lanes of I-95 in Hampton. Troopers coordinated with members of the Massachusetts State Police as the suspect continued driving into Mass. It was later discovered that Duarte was involved in a two-vehicle crash. The crash resulted in the death of 49-year-old Jeremy Cole of Exeter, New Hampshire. Duarte was also injured during the accident and was brought to a Boston hospital to be treated for serious injuries. New Hampshire troopers investigating the incident determined that Duarte had initially been driving northbound on I-95 before pulling into the NH Liquor & Wine Outlet parking lot. The outlet was closed at the time, and Duarte was seen through surveillance leaving the lot and entering the road in the wrong direction. On May 28, Massachusetts State Police notified New Hampshire troopers that Duarte had been arrested due to his outstanding arrest warrant. On Tuesday, Duarte was brought to New Hampshire and held at the Rockingham County Department of Corrections. Duarte was charged with two felony counts of reckless conduct and one misdemeanor count of disobeying an officer. He was arraigned in Hampton District Court on Wednesday. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
North Adams man sentenced to prison for assaulting child
PITTSFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A North Adams man pleaded guilty to five charges involving assaulting a child in Berkshire Superior Court on Thursday. Springfield man sentenced to life for 2021 Chicopee murder Berkshire District Attorney's Office Chief of Operations Julia Sabourin shared in a news release that in 2022, 37-year-old Jesriel Morales of North Adams allegedly assaulted a six-year-old child. Morales reportedly slammed the child into a window and wall, hit them with a belt, slapped them, and forced them to kneel on dried rice. On Thursday, Morales pleaded guilty to three counts of Aggravated Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon on a Child and two counts of Assault and Battery. He was sentenced to two and a half years in the Berkshire House of Corrections, followed by two years of probation. Morales was also ordered by the judge to have no contact with the victim and to participate in the Fatherhood program. 'I am pleased with the guilty plea,' said Berkshire District Attorney Timothy Shugrue. 'Jesriel Morales preyed on the most innocent member of society. Today, my thoughts are with the very young victim. I hope this conclusion provides them some peace and feeling of safety and security.' WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
