Hate Mail Sent to Blacks at Prep School Is Investigated

[flashl]

CONCORD, N.H. — A police investigation is under way at an elite prep school here after many black students received anonymous letters that the head of the school described as “threatening hate mail.”

A spokeswoman for the school, St. Paul’s, said the letters had arrived in the students’ mailboxes on Tuesday. The spokeswoman, Jana Brown, would not disclose the contents of the letters or how many students received them, but said, “Students of color do appear to be the target.”

According to several people associated with St. Paul’s, each student received a copy of his own photo from the school’s internal face book with the words “bang bang get out of here” written below. They said the letters, sent through the Postal Service, were postmarked from nearby Manchester, N.H.

Lt. Keith Mitchell of the Concord Police Department said the police had started investigating Tuesday night but could not yet discuss the case.

NY Times

[regnaD kciN]

1. More on the story...

I'm a graduate of St. Paul's*, and received the following e-mail yesterday afternoon.

Important Message from the SPS Rector

Dear Alumni/ae,

As members of the SPS family, I want you to be aware of a challenging situation here at School. I sent the message below to our parents last evening. Ours is a remarkable community of which you are a part. I can't tell you how impressed I have been over the course of the past 24 hours with what our adults are doing for our students. They are calm, focused, supportive, loving - all that you would hope for in a crisis. They are living the words of our School Prayer.

Sincerely,

Bill

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Parents:

I write to inform you of a very unfortunate event at the School. This afternoon, several students came forward to their advisers after receiving threatening hate mail delivered through the U.S. Postal Service to their SPS post office boxes.

We immediately informed the Concord Police, who began an investigation that included the discovery of many more of these letters. It appears, at this time, that students of color were the target of these threatening communications. We are actively contacting the parents of the students known to have received letters.

I called an all-School meeting this evening, during which I explained the incident, the ongoing investigation, the increase in campus security, and the faculty's readiness to support anyone in the community affected by this terrible event. I also informed the students that we will postpone tomorrow's assessments so we can continue to discuss this attack on our community.

If you have any questions regarding your child's safety, I encourage you to contact your son or daughter's adviser directly.

The faculty, staff, and I are deeply saddened by this affront to our community. It is an outrage, and while only some were threatened directly, we all have been wounded by this. I shared with your children this evening that, unfortunately, there is hatred in our world. Some of that hatred arrived on our doorstep today. I am confident, however, that the loving and supportive qualities of this community are stronger than that hatred, and will prevail.

Sincerely,

Bill

There's always been some tension shown toward SPS from the surrounding community, but this is the first time I've heard of it having a racial component.

*along with John Kerry, Watergate prosecutor Archibald Cox, Doonesbury cartoonist Garry Trudeau...and F.B.I. director Robert Mueller. (Hey, nobody's perfect!)

[flashl]

2. The school's actions is commendable

Often administrators take on a wait-and-see approach. Maybe, the recent shooting has heighten school administrators attention.

[Soodonim]

3. Grrrr.

Some people just don't deserve the right to speak, especially when it hurts others!

[Panchojackson]

4. Kudos to the police

hate shouldn't be tolerated.

[Soodonim]

5. I agree totally

Hate Speech laws need to be passed today!

[ThomCat]

6. It's nice to see the school taking this seriously

and not turning it back on the students.