NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The City School District of New Rochelle’s Huguenot Academy has been something of a bright light and an undeniable success story since relocating to its new downtown campus, but today that image was tarnished in a way that will leave a lasting stain.
Superintendent Corey W. Reynolds told parents that he was saddened to report that hateful graffiti was discovered at Huguenot Academy. Reynolds said that that vandals used antisemitic slurs and a racially derogatory reference to the Black community. He said such “acts of hate and bigotry have no place in our educational environment or anywhere in our society.”
The superintendent said this was a time for the community to come together.
“We extend our support and solidarity to the Jewish and Black/African American communities and all those affected by this hateful act,” Reynolds said in a message to families. “We urge everyone to stand up against any form of discrimination and to actively promote love, compassion, and unity within our school district and beyond.”
Reynolds said there will be difficult conversations to come to address the “incivility and hate head-on.” The school chief said those conversations will start immediately and will involve the entire community.
“The core values we live by assert that we will strive to create a school environment where every individual feels valued, respected, and safe,” Reynolds told families. “Let us stand together against hate and bigotry, and build a future based on mutual respect, understanding, and solidarity.”