WA takes steps to help address alleged racism

Washington Academy (WA) in East Machias has taken a number of steps to address allegations of racism and bullying at the school in response to a petition for change that was started by a WA student of Hispanic ethnicity, Natalia Kempthorne-Curiel. However, she and her sister Kiara, also a WA graduate, and her parents believe more needs to be done, including through the Maine Attorney General's Office and through legislation. Legislators are preparing a bill to be introduced in the upcoming session that will address some of the issues.
A number of racist incidents and statements made by some WA students that were targeted at minority students had prompted Kempthorne-Curiel, who just graduated this year, to start the petition. Those incidents culminated with her mother Esther (Curiel) Kempthorne, who was a Spanish teacher at WA for five years and is a naturalized immigrant from Mexico, finding a noose in her classroom. Because of the threats and harassment they have endured since the petition was started last summer, Kempthorne-Curiel and her mother and father Nathan have recently moved from Milbridge to another state.
Commenting that WA "takes pride in its commitment to racial justice," Head of School Judson McBrine, in a public statement released on November 12 in response to the concerns brought forward, stated that the school, like other institutions in the county and the U.S., is "affected by systemic racism and implicit biases. While this can be a difficult thing to admit, I believe that an honest assessment of Washington Academy is a necessary first step towards addressing these issues."
He says he is "comfortable with the direction we are headed and proud of the work that has started and will continue." Because of the requests made by WA students, the administration conducted an assessment "to ensure that we are providing students and staff with a safe, equitable and fair educational environment," McBrine stated in the letter. Following the review, the school appointed a director of diversity, created a Trustees Diversity Committee and an Educator Diversity Committee and established a student Civil Rights Team. Also, teachers are participating in monthly professional development on race, equality and inclusion, and 10 representatives from trustees, administrators and counselors and teachers are participating in a year long Cultural Competence Institute. In addition, students and staff are engaged in school wide diversity programming, and WA's Gay, Straight, Transgender Alliance continues to meet.
WA has contracted with Lawrence Alexander, Carnie Sandoe & Associates' lead consultant for diversity, equity and inclusion, to conduct an equity audit, which will identify where the school can take further steps towards addressing any problems. The audit will continue throughout the school year and will provide members of the community with an opportunity to make their voices heard.
McBrine added, "We recognize that our work in the area of equity and inclusion going forward does not erase any harm done to our community members in the past. For that we are deeply sorry. What we can assure you is that going forward we will be a more inclusive, equitable and just community. You can hold us accountable to that, and we hope to reengage members of our community from years past as we redefine our path forward."
McBrine has spoken directly with the Kempthorne family, and Kempthorne-Curiel states, "We are pleased that Headmaster McBrine and the WA administration are now taking aggressive positive steps to address racism, and we are happy to see all the progress that has been made. We are very hopeful that there will be long-term positive effects on students of color, LGBTQ students and international students."
She adds that she hopes the community will "step up" and do their part to actively support those changes. She comments, "We look forward to the results from the equity audit, which should give the school and the community clarity on areas that need improvement."
While pleased with the steps that have been taken, Kempthorne-Curiel's petition for positive change at WA, which was signed by over 1,070 supporters, had outlined 17 demands. Some of those changes have been implemented, but she points to several that have not been addressed. Those include requiring that the board of trustees annually read a statement affirming that WA is committed to anti racism principles and does not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind; having the administration make a priority of recruiting teachers and staff of color and from diverse backgrounds and replacing the board of trustees with a more diverse, accountable board; and having the board of trustees establish two voting seats for student representatives, with one seat voted on by the international students. Other changes still needing to be implemented include having the board and administration conduct quarterly meetings with public reporting on specific steps WA is taking to address discrimination; and having the school's budget be publicly available.

Concerns about response by board and AG's office
While the WA administration has been assertive in addressing racism, the Kempthornes are disappointed with the lack of response from WA's board of trustees. They say they had sought repeatedly to have an audience with the trustees via Zoom but were never given the opportunity to speak with them and that no board member ever responded to them directly. Noting that the school is a publicly funded nonprofit organization, not a private business, Kempthorne-Curiel says the board should be more accountable to the community. "The board is mostly local business leaders, and if they made a public stand against the racism that we experienced it would have a major impact on the community. Instead they have remained completely silent and delegated that important work only to the school administration."
Michael Hennessey, the president of the board of trustees, says that the board is very well informed about the issues that have been raised and that they are having McBrine be the spokesperson for the trustees. He says the board has taken "a lot of responsibility and is very accountable to the community." As for whether more steps to address racism need to be implemented, he says, "It's not a perfect world, but we have taken tremendous strides." While more can be done, he also notes that it's been difficult during the pandemic for the board to meet.
The Kempthornes also are concerned about the lack of response by the Maine Office of the Attorney General (OAG). They say that neither Attorney General Aaron Frey nor any investigators from his office took the time to ask them about what occurred since it was reported to Frey in early August. "It was like calling 911 and being put permanently on hold," says Kempthorne-Curiel. "My dad called multiple times, the Washington County delegation reached out multiple times, and he and his staff essentially ignored all of us."
According to Marc Malon, spokesman for the Maine OAG, the attorney general is aware of the issues raised and takes the concerns seriously. The office is currently wrapping up its assessment as to whether there is a role it can play in addressing the issues. Malon says the office is "heartened to hear that Washington Academy has registered with the OAG to form a Civil Rights Team. Steps like this are important for schools and communities to facilitate a positive and inclusive culture moving forward."

Legislation to be introduced
While the OAG has not appeared to have been that responsive, state legislators have been more engaged. Kempthorne-Curiel comments that a number of them have indicated their commitment to legislation to address the need for oversight of schools like Washington Academy, high schools that are referred to as "60/40 town academies." These schools are 60% publicly funded and 40% privately funded. She observes, "We have learned through this process that 60/40 town academies throughout Maine operate in a much less regulated way and are considered public schools when it is convenient and private when it serves their purposes."
Nathan Kempthorne has drafted legislative suggestions for 60/40 schools, including having a comprehensive legislative analysis of current local, state or federal oversight regulation that public schools are expected to comply with compared with those for 60/40 schools, with a determination for why any gaps exist. In particular, requirements for training and duty to report discrimination or mistreatment of minors should be the same for public and 60/40 schools, and budgets and funding streams should be transparent to the public. In addition, an in-depth and public analysis should be conducted concerning the safety and well-being of students of color at 60/40 schools.
Kempthorne-Curiel comments that the recommendations should not be controversial, as they allow the community to have more insight into schools' procedures and funding, with a goal of equal access to a safe learning environment for all students. Their recommendations are being considered by legislators, some of whom have been in discussions with the Kempthornes. Senator Rebecca Millett, co-chair of the legislature's Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, comments, "Like so many people, I was shocked when I heard what has been happening at Washington Academy. We want to believe that Maine is a welcoming place for all, and when instances like this happen, it's jarring to say the least. Racist acts like this have no place in our society, never mind in our schools."
She says she's encouraged to learn recently that WA has created a plan to improve racial justice and equal rights at the school. "I know my colleagues and I will be keeping an eye on how this plan is implemented. But we know, unfortunately, the problem of racism is systemic and isn't limited to this one case." She says she will be submitting a bill for the next legislative session "to help the Department of Education better support schools, families and students across the state." The bill has not been drafted yet, but Senator Millett says she's committed to working with the department and other stakeholders. She adds, "Minimally, there needs to be clearer language about schools that accept publicly funded students meeting the same safety statutory requirements, which includes bullying and requirements for student codes of conduct."
Senator Marianne Moore of Calais believes all of the Washington County legislative delegation will be supportive of the bill.
All four of the Kempthornes say they remain hopeful that the positive changes the administration is taking will be fully supported by the community and that the board may some day operate in a publicly accountable way with meetings with students, staff and parents throughout the year. In a statement, they comment, "We believe that human and civil rights and equal access to a safe educational environment are not political issues; they are something that everyone should agree are universal human rights, and we are very glad that this effort already has strong bipartisan support."