A group of students at a South Jersey high school are under investigation for organizing an alleged hate group involving racial bias, school officials said.
The students, who attend Collingswood High School in Camden County, allegedly committed “several unacceptable acts” the week before spring break, Principal Douglas Newman said in a letter to parents and guardians. Spring break at the school district was from March 29 to April 5.
“This incident does not define who we are as a school,” Newman said in the letter. “Hatred, racism, and intolerant behavior are not aligned to the values we hold dear at Collingswood High School.”
In the letter, the principal did not detail the alleged acts, but said that a harassment, intimidation and bullying investigation is being conducted by the school. The Collingswood Police Department and Camden County Prosecutor’s Office have also opened an investigation into the matter, he said.
School officials and the Prosecutor’s Office declined to comment further and the borough police did not respond to requests for comment.
NJPen, the local Camden County news site that first reported the story, said a group of seven to nine students started a white student union in response to the school’s already existing Black student union. The group allegedly used racial slurs toward their peers and threatened them with violence, in addition to vandalizing a car belonging to one of their white classmates, the news site reported.
Collingswood Public Schools Superintendent Fred McDowell, one of the administrators who declined to comment when contacted by NJ Advance Media, reportedly provided the details of the incidents to NJPen.
In a joint statement released by the mayor’s office, borough police department and school district, multiple plans were announced to combat racial conflicts within the district.
The group of leaders discussed the plans at a private meeting on April 17. They include a website that will provide resources on combating racism and a series of workshops including the “Amplifying Black Voices” panel that will be hosted by the Collingswood Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee next month.
“We all share a deep concern for our community, specifically residents and students of color,” the group said in a joint statement. “As a group, we acknowledge the hurt, pain, and fear associated with these allegations and recognize the impact on many Collingswood residents - adults and children alike.”
Allegations of racial discrimination at the school also arose in February 2023 when more than 100 students staged days of walkouts. During the week of the walkouts, a student started a petition on Change.org entitled “NO to racism and discrimination at CHS/Collingswood High School.”
In the petition’s description, the student alleged racial harassment from students and staff, efforts from administrators to sweep racism at the school “under the rug” and more harsh punishments for students of color than their white classmates.
The school district held a meeting on community race relations after the walkout in 2023 that was facilitated by a local consultant brought in by the district, The Retrospect, a local Camden County newspaper reported last year.
The principal did not acknowledge the previous allegations in his recent letter and declined to comment further.
Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.
Nicolas Fernandes may be reached at nfernandes@njadvancemedia.com.
