(WXYZ) — A student protest was held Friday afternoon at Bloomfield Hills High School after racist graffiti was found on bathroom walls for two straight days.
According to the district, the racist graffiti was written on the walls of restrooms and then shared on social media accounts.
Police were alerted to the graffiti on Wednesday and then again on Thursday. Police say they are conducting an investigation
The walkout was scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Friday, and the district says that school and district administrators have met with organizers of the walkout.
"Hate speech and racist behavior will not be tolerated and does not represent our mission as a school or the high standards we hold for our students and ourselves," the district said in a statement.
The district also said they are holding a community collaboration event on anti-racism work on Tuesday that will include community conversation and brainstorming and then small group discussion.
According to the district, there will be an increased police presence during the walkout.
The district's entire statement is below:
"The district is aware of racist hate speech written on the walls of our restrooms and shared on private social media accounts this week. We launched an immediate investigation with the assistance of the Bloomfield Township Police Department. Hate speech and racist behavior will not be tolerated and does not represent our mission as a school or the high standards we hold for our students and ourselves.
Some immediate actions regarding this reprehensible incident include grade level meetings to address emotional impact of hate speech and the legal repercussions, counselling and social work support, staff meetings and training, and opportunities for student and community dialogues. Our ongoing efforts, like the Student Equity Council, the Student Senate, and Global Education Team, have been working specifically on policy and procedures related to incidents of hate.
We are hosting a Community Collaboration Event to move anti-racism work forward on Tuesday, November 16 at 6 p.m. at Bloomfield Hills High School. We recognize that we need help from our community and that there is significant work to do."
