Bangor orders probe of high school’s response to racism Black students experienced
The Bangor School Department will order an outside investigation into Bangor High School’s handling of racism that Black students have experienced at the predominantly white school. Superintendent Betsy Webb said she ordered the probe after learning of many of the students’ experiences in a Bangor Daily News article.
In the Tuesday article, titled “Racism is my high school experience,” four Black students said white students have called them the N-word and defended slavery and white supremacy in class discussions. Another said classmates have told her multiple times to “go back where I came from.” Students said they reported their experiences several times to teachers and administrators, only to be told they couldn’t do anything and that they should take matters into their own hands.
Webb said in a statement released Tuesday afternoon that the school department will order the outside investigation “given the seriousness of the incidents shared.”
“No student should have the experiences that have been described, and these incidents are unacceptable and extremely concerning,” Webb said. “Immediate action is required to learn more and to gain a better understanding of the culture and climate our Black students experience while at Bangor High School.”
Black students make up less than 3 percent of the student body, and Webb praised the students who came forward with their experiences.