Graffiti containing racist and sexually violent language was discovered by a student at Francis Howell High School on Wednesday, according to an email sent to families earlier today.
The student reported the graffiti to school administrators and was quickly removed, according to Dave Wedlock, Francis Howell High’s principal. An investigation into the incident is underway.
“I want to commend the courageous student who brought the graffiti to our attention so it could be quickly removed,” Wedlock states in the email. “I also want to apologize to that student and any others who witnessed the damaging words.”
The St. Charles chapter of the NAACP issued a statement on Friday condemning the incident.
"This type of language is not only vile and dangerous, it is the product of belief systems that have been allowed to fester within the walls of Francis Howell High School for years," said Zebrina Looney, president of the St. Charles branch. "We cannot and will not ignore the reality that such messages don't appear in isolation. They are a reflection of an environment that has failed to adequately address racism, hate, and the ongoing safety concerns of Black students and families."
The district could not be reached immediately for comment on the NAACP's statement.
Images of the graffiti were shared on Facebook on Wednesday by Meagan Martin Mahaney, a parent in the district.
She said her son C.J., who is a junior at Francis Howell High, discovered the graffiti towards the end of the school day and reported it to school administrators.
The images show writing on bathroom stalls and metal support beams repeatedly using the N-word, a racist slur that is directed at Black people, as well as the murder and rape of Black people.
“How many other children saw that and didn’t say anything?” Martin Mahaney said in an interview Thursday evening. “It’s bad enough to write a racial slur, but then to essentially threaten people also. It’s so much worse to incite violence like that.”
Martin Mahaney said no one from the school or the district had contacted her about the incident. The only communication she’s received is the email sent earlier to all Francis Howell High families.
The graffiti was written in dry-erase marker and was able to be removed quickly.
“The Francis Howell School District and Francis Howell High School will not tolerate racism, hate speech or acts of violence,” Wedlock said in the email. “This behavior is deplorable and does not reflect our Viking values.”
Wedlock said that students found responsible for the incident would “receive discipline in accordance with FHSD Code of Student Conduct and may face legal charges.”
Martin Mahaney would like the district to do more.
“I think that things get ignored to not draw attention to the situation, and attention needs to be drawn to this [incident], so that people know this is not okay, and they stop doing this.”
This story has been updated to include comments from parent Meagan Martin Mahaney.
This story has been updated to include a statement released by the St. Charles branch of the NAACP on Friday.
