HANOVER COUNTY, Va. — The Hanover NAACP is sounding the alarm about what officials call discriminatory incidents occurring regularly in county schools that they believe are not being adequately addressed.

During a press conference Wednesday night, members of the organization said they could not remain silent after district officials said a Hanover student wrote a racial slur on a Henrico school bus during a Hanover High School football game last week.

The group believes the incident “cannot be dismissed” because they say they hear about discrimination frequently and believe new steps are needed to make black students feel safe.

“Our kids are hurting and our school system wants to ignore it,” said Hanover NAACP President Patricia Hunter-Jordan.

The group is calling on the school system and school board to do more to hold students accountable and create safer spaces for students of color.

Hunter-Jordan called the bus incident “deplorable.”

“We want the JV team, all the players, to know that we’re not behind this, that we’re against it,” Hunter-Jordan said.

WTVR

Community members shared stories of racism and discrimination they experienced in the county.

The organization called on the oversight board to appoint people of color, recognize that racist acts are not isolated incidents and maintain policies in place – including the principles of trust, inclusion and fairness. The group also called for the district and school board to gain trust through cooperative meetings.

“Now we think it’s time to go public with the things that they always don’t want to address,” Hunter-Jordan said. “I think the trust that needs to be built is in our school board.”

A Hanover School District spokesperson provided emails between Hanover Schools Interim Superintendent Dr. Lisa Pennycuff and the Hanover NAACP President in response to our inquiry about Wednesday’s meeting.

Pennycuff wrote the NAACP saying the school system took the busing incident seriously through joint messages they sent to families and students condemning the incident as racism.

The acting superintendent also listed the methods the district has in place to teach anti-bullying, anti-racism and more. Pennycuff said he has addressed the incident with administrators and asked them to remain vigilant, saying he could not comment on disciplinary actions related to the school bus incident.

“While we cannot prevent every student from making a racist or hateful remark or decision, any more than law enforcement officers can prevent any crime or scientists can prevent any disease, we work diligently to do our part through disciplinary action swift actions that recognize the seriousness of this reprehensible behavior and, just as importantly, the education of our students, which we have outlined above,” she wrote.

CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.

: CONNECT WITH US

Facebook|Instagram|X|nature|TikTok