GUILFORD — Guilford Public Schools released a statement Tuesday regarding a high school student who attended a football game wearing blackface.
In a game between Guilford High School and a Hartford school, Paul Freeman, Superintendent of Schools Guilford Public Schools, said, “As the gates opened, a single Guilford High School student arrived at the game wearing blackface. He was immediately addressed by the Guilford School Resource Officer who directed him to remove the face paint, which he did, before the game began and before most of the spectators arrived.”
In the statement, Freeman didn’t mention the exact Hartford school, but according to Guilford’s schedule, they faced Hartford Public High School on Friday.
Freeman went on to say the Hartford school was contacted and offered an apology.
“Most importantly, administration at Guilford High School and at Adams Middle School are discussing ways in which we will address this topic with our students,” Freeman said in a release. “This individual incident is unacceptable, it was addressed immediately, and we will continue to address it from an educational stance moving forward.”
Freeman went on to say this incident does not reflect the students of Guilford as a whole.
“The students who I have come to know in Guilford are responsible and thoughtful and compassionate young adults who are offended by this incident as much, if not more so, than the adult community,” Freeman said. “No incident occurs in isolation. If even one Guilford student felt that wearing blackface was acceptable or funny, then we have more work to do. As a community we will continue to educate our students about racial relations, about racism and racist behaviors, and about ways in which to be accepting and supportive of all.”
