Student tells committee she faced years of racism; part-time staff urges paid COVID sick leave

Christelle Jean, a senior at Malden High School, told the School Committee that after she and several classmates spoke about their experiences of racism at a April 2, 2018 meeting they were initially praised but later faced sustained negative treatment from some educators.

"This made me feel the power of white fragility," Christelle Jean said, recounting that some Salemwood School educators responded with denial, whispered comments and, in at least one instance, direct berating. She said groups on social media were formed that portrayed the students as attention-seeking and that some teachers privately expressed disgust toward them. Christelle asked teachers who had supported the students to protect BIPOC students and to build safe spaces.

In a separate public comment, Lillian Sterenberg, a part-time math assistant at Linden S.T.E.A.M., asked the district to revise its COVID-19 sick-leave policy so part-time employees would be paid. Sterenberg said the Governor had extended Emergency Sick Leave and that she had not received clarification from the district human-resources office; she told the committee she had spoken with the Mayor earlier about the matter. The transcript records the request but does not include a human-resources response during the public session.

The committee did not take immediate public-action on either public comment during the meeting; the allegations of staff behavior and the request on sick-leave policy were recorded in the public-comment portion of the minutes. The committee’s minutes and any subsequent staff responses would be the public record for follow-up.