Vandalism at Kensington Elementary School investigated as hate crime
Kensington Police are investigating an incident at Kensington Elementary School over the weekend as a possible hate crime and are asking any witnesses to contact the department through the dispatch number, 510-525-7573.
When students and staff arrived the morning of Monday, Oct. 19, they found a racial slur written on a wall with what appeared to be roofing tar, according to a ParentSquare message sent to families by Principal Kim Jordan. The tar was also smeared on several outdoor walls and the door handles of two classrooms. According to a parent, the tar was also on the ground leading to the parking area.
After a teacher took photos, the custodian immediately covered the tar on the wall and door handles, the notice said.
Kensington Police Sgt. Brian Lande said the incident is being investigated as a possible hate crime. Police have no suspects or witnesses and ask that any witnesses call dispatch, he said.
Some families responded by working with their children to create posters against racism. In a follow-up to the first message, Jordan said the posters would be hung up throughout the school, and that teachers were working with their students on the issue as well.
Jordan’s first message continued: “I want to be clear: racist language and acts of racial intimidation have no place in our school community. Every student, staff member, and family deserves to feel safe, respected, and valued, without fear of racial harassment or discrimination.
“I am working closely with the WCCUSD Office of Positive School Climate to develop a campus-wide response to this incident and to ensure that appropriate support is available for those affected by this incident. I am also working with the WCCUSD Safety Team to determine a plan for supporting our campus safety.
“If your child has been impacted or would benefit from additional support, please reach out to me or your child’s teacher. I am committed to responding with care and sensitivity and ensuring that the safety, well-being, and dignity of every member of our school community remain a priority.
“While the investigation is underway, I encourage you to speak with your children in age-appropriate ways about respect, the harm caused by racism, and how our core value, ‘Everyone Belongs,’ should guide the way we treat one another and respond to incidents like this.
“My commitment to creating a caring and safe learning environment free of racialized harm remains steadfast.”
School board member-elect Caitlin Garibaldi, who will represent Kensington, wrote to El Cerrito Wire:
“I'm sickened and angry about what happened at Kensington Elementary this morning.
“Someone wrote the n-word on a school wall in roofing tar, and smeared tar across walls and classroom door handles. Let's call this what it is. This wasn't graffiti. It wasn't a prank. It was a racist act of intimidation meant to make Black students, families, and staff feel unsafe and unwelcome at their own school.
“Every child should be able to walk onto campus and feel safe, respected, and like they belong. Today that was violated.
“I want to thank the teacher who documented this, the custodian who acted immediately to cover it, Principal Jordan for communicating quickly with families, and the Kensington Police Department for responding.
“Our Black students, families, and educators deserve more than a statement. They deserve real support, they deserve to be heard, and they deserve a district response that takes racial harm seriously and works to prevent it from happening again. I am grateful to the Office of Positive School Climate and the Safety Team for stepping in to support the school.
“In WCCUSD we say Everyone Belongs. That can't just be words on a wall. It has to be what we do when our community is harmed.
“As a community, we have to be unequivocal: racism and racial intimidation have no place in our schools. Not in Kensington, not anywhere in WCCUSD.
“Our kids are watching how we respond. We need to show them that their dignity is non-negotiable, their safety matters, and that belonging is a commitment we will protect and uphold.
“I am here to support our community members who were harmed by this vile act, and will be following up with district leadership. I can be reached directly by email: Caitlin.b.garibaldi@gmail.com .”
Board member Demetrio Gonzalez-Hoy wrote to the Wire, “I am outraged and disgusted by this hateful act of racism that occurred at Kensington Elementary School. There is absolutely no place for this kind of hatred in our schools or our community. I want to especially thank our school staff, particularly the custodian who acted quickly to cover the racist language before students could see it. No student or staff member should ever feel unsafe or unwelcome on our campuses. We must come together as a community and send a clear message that racism, hatred, and intimidation will never be tolerated in WCCUSD. Our schools must remain places where every child and employee feels safe, respected, and valued.”
WCCUSD spokesperson Liz Sanders said, “There is no place for any hate speech or acts of racial intimidation in WCCUSD schools. We are grateful to our local law enforcement partners for investigating this incident as a potential hate crime, and our school and district administration are working to make sure that appropriate supports are provided to students, staff, and the entire Kensington Elementary School community.”
The Kensington campus is easy to enter and has had other problems in the past. According to a parent, there have been other incidents in the past year or two, including one in which classrooms were broken into and materials inside ruined when vandals sprayed them with fire extinguishers. Another time, they said, teacher appreciation week decorations were removed from some doors.