Here’s what KC-area school says about its race problem after pro-slavery petition

After a petition calling to bring back slavery circulated in a Kansas City area high school, the principal said the response has been one of anger and sadness.

And it’s not the first time in the last year the school has been criticized for issues involving race.

Park Hill South High School Principal Kerrie Herren said the school is experiencing racism in the same way the wider community is grappling with it.

He told The Star the district is actively looking for equitable solutions. In the past few days, he has had several discussion with parents, students and staff about how the school handles racism.

“I think that (Park Hill South) is a microcosm of the bigger community and world,” Herren said in a telephone interview Wednesday. “And so just like other places are experiencing that, we experience it. But that’s why were are working on it, that’s why we did our listening tours and that’s why we’re committed to our inclusion, equity and diversity work that we’re doing.”

Last year, the school was criticized for another incident involving race.

The Park Hill South High School volleyball team had stepped onto the court before a September game wearing T-shirts that said, “Together we rise” with three fists of different races raised in the air.

Herren ran onto the court before the Sept. 29 game and demanded the team take off the shirts, The Star’s editorial board reported. The shirts were a symbol of racial equity and inclusion.

One student said the athletic director said if they allowed the “Together we rise shirts,” they’d have to allow KKK shirts. Herren was also reported to have said MAGA shirts would also have to be sanctioned if the other shirts were.

Abbie Day, a senior on the volleyball team at the time, told Star columnist Melinda Henneberger, “I could not believe they were comparing a KKK shirt to a message of unity.” She had proposed the shirts.

Herren later apologized.

Herren said he doesn’t know how many racist incidents have taken place at the school in recent years, but said the school follows the policy when incidents are reported.

“Every single time, we make sure that we bring focus to those that are hurt,” he said. “And we keep widening that circle of where that impact is so that we can lift them up here, so that those instances are not repeated in the future.”

In speaking with teachers Wednesday, Herren said they echoed a message of anger and sadness about the pro-slavery petition.

“I think everyone has identified that the impact that is occurring is much bigger than just a few students,” Herren said. “(But) that the whole community right now is heard.”

Last week, a student, or students, circulated the petition. The investigation is currently ongoing, Herren said.

“We are outraged, hurt and saddened that this occurred,” Herren said in a statement to the student body Friday. “This is not who we want to be at Park Hill South. Our differences make us stronger. We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment.”

In the last few days, school administrators have been going on listening tours, talking to students. On Wednesday, administrators spent the day talking to teachers.

“I think the the biggest thing that our students needed (was) a space to come and tell us that they’re hurt, they’re outraged, they’re confused and they don’t know why something like this would happen,” Herren said.

In 2015, Park Hill South High School started an Inclusion and Equity Council that was made up by teachers. The council started by focusing on issues of implicit and explicit bias, Herren said.

“Then we worked into having student focus groups that talk about sense of belonging and experiences that they were having and we’ve had those that are ongoing for about three years,” Herren said.

In a statement released Wednesday, Superintendent Jeanette Cowherd said that several people in the community are hurting.

“It is important that we listen to the students, families and staff who are hurting, so we have been setting up meetings to give our people the opportunity to share how they feel,” Cowherd said. “This is further evidence that we need to continue doing the work we started in 2015 to make our schools a welcoming, inclusive environment, where everyone feels safe.”

The school district has shared few specific details about the petition. Nicole Kirby, a district spokeswoman, said Tuesday that the matter is considered a “discipline incident” and therefore the amount of information the district may share is limited, including the number of students involved or the exact details of what transpired.

“We can’t talk about specifics,” Kirby said. “But we wanted to make sure that we responded and let people know that we don’t tolerate discrimination or harassment.”

The Park Hill petition is the latest in a string of reports of racism in Kansas City area schools.

In one other case, a swastika appeared at an area prep school — and months later, “KKK” was written on the side of a student’s desk. In another, a teacher in Lee’s Summit admitted to using the n-word twice. The school board later reinstated the teacher.

If you are a parent, student or teacher at Park Hill South High School and would like to speak with The Star about the school’s response to the petition and other issues of race, email aatorres@kcstar.com

The Star’s Bill Lukitsch contributed reporting.