East Lyme High addressing Spirit Week incidents
East Lyme — The principal of East Lyme High School said the school will "open up a dialogue about tolerance and cultural sensitivity" following incidents during Spirit Week, including one that was "racially charged."
Principal Michael Susi said in a letter to parents Tuesday that he convened a meeting with students on Monday to discuss the events that occurred during last week's Spirit Week and a pep rally on Friday.
"There were times during this past week when students were calling each other names, tagging other classmates with paint, throwing things at other classmates during the pep rally, and in one case, this disrespect manifested itself in a racially charged way," he continued. "These behaviors will not be tolerated and were addressed immediately; hence the meeting on Monday after Spirit Week."
He said incidents at the end of the week ran "counter to the values of our mission to prepare students 'to be positive forces in the world.'"
"The main issues that I referenced during our all-school meeting related to treating others respectfully," Susi wrote in the letter. "The excitement of Spirit Week always creates enthusiasm and a festive atmosphere, but this year some members took advantage of that excitement and used their energy to create negativity instead of spirit."
Susi told a reporter Monday, "During spirit week, kids sometimes get too wrapped up in the week and get too excited and make poor decisions."
"We investigate the situation and deal with it accordingly, whether it's a minor consequence or a significant consequence," he added.
Susi said in the letter that the school plans to form a committee that will look into the climate of the school's culture and how the school can better meet its mission.
Susi could not immediately be reached for comment at his office on Tuesday afternoon.
Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Newton said that the incidents remain under investigation and that Susi is committed to creating a respectful school atmosphere.
"I know he is still investigating the situation," said Newton. "He really wanted to be proactive and get a letter out to the parent community that there were some behaviors during Spirit Week that he is addressing."
Day staff writer Martha Shanahan contributed to this report.
Twitter: @KimberlyDrelich
