On Friday, September 30, 2018, an incident at Logan’s annual Homecoming Rally sparked racial tension and outrage throughout the Logan campus. A junior male student wore a fake Ku Klux Klan hood and was approached by an African-American female student. The female student, also a Logan junior, demanded that he remove the hood, to which he complied but then shoved her.
There is no question it was an ugly incident. The question was what to do about it, and it turned out there was no easy answer.
“When we were deciding how to punish the student, my colleagues and I kept coming back to the same question that is – do we as a school community believe that as heinous, as terrible of an act that was – do we as a community believe that this is something he can learn from and help him repair or do we believe that it is so wrong that there is not even a hope or chance for this young man to learn from his mistakes?” said Logan principal Abhi Brar.
After much discussion, the punishment was issued on the basis that the offense was “not a hate crime” but rather a “stupid joke that the student thought was ‘edgy’.” The female student’s family decided not to press charges, and the male student received a 5-day suspension. Principal Brar believes that “was the best decision at the time.”
However justified, there were still protests and discontent voiced from the Black community regarding Logan’s response. Many African-American students, who make up eleven percent of the student population, and parents had a hard time understanding the decision.
“From the many discussions I had with our [Black] community, they felt like the consequence for the student who allegedly brought and put on the mask was way too easy,” said Logan teacher Mani Allen. “I kept hearing, ‘If it were a Black student who had done something, they would have been suspended or up for expulsion!’. The community felt and still feels like there is a double standard within the Logan community.”
This “double standard” stemmed from the controversy as to whether the offense should be considered a hate crime or not and why it wasn’t punished as such. According to Google dictionary, a hate crime is a crime, typically one involving violence, that is motivated by prejudice on the basis of race, religion, sexual orientation, or other grounds.
Ms. Allen said she “most definitely feel[s] that this was a hate crime.” And for many African-American students, it was received as such. However, few people knew the whole story.
“If I could go back, the one thing I would do differently is open up a conversation and answer questions anyone had about [the offense],” Brar said.
The lack of released details and statements due to legal reasons allowed the story to run wild and eventually create greater divides in the Logan community. Overall, it was a missed opportunity for a much-needed discussion.
So, where are we now? The 2018 Homecoming Rally exposed issues of racial bias and racial tension at a school that tirelessly promotes racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity. The administrative response left some students questioning their value and safety on the James Logan campus. And with the 2019 Homecoming Rally coming up, there are concerns of how Logan’s administration will ensure that the campus will be safe and respectful to all James Logan students, including the eleven percent.
“We need to start enforcing rules so people of minorities can feel safer here,” Jonathan Nuñez, an African American senior said. Especially “people of color who feel silenced.” Hopefully, we can learn from what happened at the 2018 Homecoming Rally and start a long-awaited conversation about Logan culture as a whole.
