Racist graffiti targets Wayland school superintendent

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WAYLAND – Students and staff at Wayland High School were greeted with a racist statement as they arrived at school on Wednesday morning.

The statement equates Wayland Superintendent Dr. Omar Easy with a racial slur and was spray painted on the side of the Wayland Community Pool building which sits a few feet from the high school campus.

The Wayland Police Department said it received a call around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday for graffiti with a racist message directed at a school staff member. WBZ-TV obtained footage showing the graffiti, followed by sheets of paper taped over it to prevent people from seeing it. By 10 a.m. Wednesday morning, the graffiti had been repainted.

Racist graffiti targeting the school principal was spray painted on the side of the Wayland Community Pool building CBS Boston

“It’s happened before, but this is the peak,” said former Wayland HS student Ben Clifford. “I think it’s really sad that people think of Wayland that way and I don’t know how the administration is going to deal with it.”

Wayland School Committee Chairman Chris Ryan released this statement in part: “I stand against this clear and egregious act of racism. This incident goes against the core values ​​of our community and undermines our continued work to create an inclusive environment for every person in the community”.

Acting Police Chief Ed Burman said in a statement:

“We do not tolerate any act of hate at Wayland, and we want to reassure our community that we take this incident very seriously. The person(s) found responsible for this hateful message will be held accountable.”

Dr. Omar Easy is a former NFL player turned education leader. Easy is new to his role with Wayland Schools and has joined a rarefied group of Massachusetts superintendents who are people of color.

Wayland School Superintendent, Dr. Omar Easy CBS Boston

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education reported that of its 273 superintendents, 21 are people of color, and of that number, 8 are black.

Peggy Shukur is part of the New England Anti-Defamation League and said: “It’s usually done with the intention of instilling fear and intimidation in those targeted. When you watch it, it’s not not something that just targets the individual named in it, but really everyone who is a member of this marginalized community, and that’s something really important to keep in mind.

We contacted Dr. Easy for this report, but received no response.

The Wayland Police Department is investigating.

Brandon Truitt

Brandon Truitt joined WBZ-TV in January 2022 after working as a reporter and backup anchor at WPRI in Providence, Rhode Island. Prior to WPRI, Truitt worked at WNCT in Greenville, North Carolina, where he began his career in broadcast journalism.

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