Racist, Antisemitic Incidents Reported At 2 Lower Merion Schools

LOWER MERION TOWNSHIP, PA — Racist and antisemitic incidents at two Lower Merion School District schools prompted officials to alert the district community.

According to Acting Superintendent Megan E. Shafer, the incidents occurred at Bala Cynwyd Middle School and Harriton High School.

Shafer said students at Bala Cynwyd were heard using racist and antisemitic language, and that a racist word was found written on a school wall.

Also in recent weeks, there have been incidents in two of our schools involving racism, and in one of those schools, antisemitism as well.

"These incidents were made even more disturbing because they occurred after schoolwide lessons for Black History Month and Holocaust Remembrance," Shafer said. "The BCMS staff is working with all students to ensure they understand that such language has no place in our schools and to reiterate lessons about civility and tolerance."

She said those students "are facing appropriate consequences."

And at Harriton, one student faked a fellow student's email address and sent racist emails to several black students, Shafer said.

That student was attempting to get another student in trouble, according to her.

Shafer said the student who sent the emails no longer goes to Harriton.

The students who got the emails received immediate support from school administrators, and their families notified as quickly as possible.

"Administrators were able to share with the email recipients information about the origin of the emails, the sender and the motivation," Shafer said. "No schoolwide email was sent after this incident because the culprit was quickly identified and disciplined, and the school was able to identify and directly support the individuals impacted."