Danvers school leaders describe swift student-led response to racist graffiti; committee flags communication gap
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Summary
Danvers Public Schools officials told the HRIC that students and staff moved quickly after racist graffiti was found at Danvers High School; police were called and an investigation is underway. HRIC members praised the response but warned a communication lapse and a long-unfilled staff position hampered earlier coordination.
Superintendent Dan Bauer and Principal Justin Strauss told the Town of Danvers Human Rights and Inclusion Committee that racist graffiti found at Danvers High School was addressed quickly by school staff and students, police were notified and an investigation is ongoing.
Bauer, speaking at the HRIC meeting, said the district’s priority was to "address what is there, be very clear it's not acceptable" and to ensure impacted students, staff and families are supported. He said the district will notify and CC the HRIC, the school committee and town managers on future mass communications so stakeholders are aligned.
Principal Strauss described the incident timeline in detail: a message went out at 01:46 the day the graffiti was discovered; students began arriving at his office around 01:54; by 01:57 "we knew who it was," he said. Strauss called the act "despicable and unacceptable," said the police were called and that "charges will immediately be pressed," but added he could not legally disclose further details of the investigation.
HRIC member Dr. Charley welcomed the involvement of the committee in communications but said the committee had not seen the parent letter that mentioned HRIC and had not been notified before it went out. "When it was brought to our attention that this reference was made, we were literally unaware that the letter had been sent," he said, calling the communication breakdown ‘‘a serious’’ problem and urging that "all the loops get closed." He also flagged that a town staff position meant to respond to these issues has been vacant for 15 months and said that vacancy increases risk.
Lieutenant Rob Sullivan of the Danvers Police Department described a new state-level investigative resource: the Hate Crimes Awareness Response Team, or HEART, and a companion information-sharing portal intended to help police match incidents across jurisdictions. Sullivan said the portal supplements statistical reporting systems such as NIBRS and the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security filings by allowing departments to upload investigative details and photos for cross-checking.
Committee members at the meeting repeatedly praised the students who spoke up and the school’s administrative response while pressing for clearer coordination in communications going forward. The superintendent accepted responsibility for the earlier lapse and said the district will change practices to ensure HRIC and other partners are notified simultaneously.
Next steps: the police investigation remains active; HRIC members requested that the committee be included in future communications and that the town investigate filling the vacant staff role to ensure a dedicated point of contact for these matters.