VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Administrators at Kempsville High School in Virginia Beach are trying to make good on their action plan after a lengthy investigation revealed students endured multiple years of racism, hate speech and harassment from some other athletes within the varsity baseball team.
As part of the next steps, school leaders are calling on the help of a local clinical psychologist.
Virginia Beach native Dr. Adolph "Doc" Brown likes to say "we can't heal what we don't reveal!" Earlier this week, he sat down with Kempsville High School administrators at the request of Principal Melissa George.
"Whenever I get a call like that, it touches my heart and I'm here for it," said Dr. Brown, who's most recently helping the very school most of his children went to as a consultant. It comes as Kempsville High School leaders work to repair relationships and regain the trust of some members of the community.
"Schools can't do it alone, parents can't do it alone, children achieve best when parents and educators are on the same page," said Dr. Brown.
According to an email thread 13News Now received through an open records request, Principal George reached out to the Virginia Beach school division's Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion asking to partner, after a meeting the day prior with two families connected to the varsity boy's baseball team. The mid-April message said she was just made aware about the issues.
"The racism and bullying have been going on for the past three years. This is the first we have been made aware of this, but now that we know, we want to address the issue and ensure that all athletes feel safe and valued," George wrote.
"More is caught than is taught. Children think, 'Hey, that's OK to do,' and then they start doing it and I talk to everyone about being better at protecting your mouths from your brain," said Dr. Brown.
Dr. Brown identifies some of the most important things adults can give children: "Consistency, structure, limits and boundaries. When you give them those, they feel safe."
Part of feeling safe, Dr. Brown said, can take shape by establishing fresh footing. He suggests George tell students the following when they return in the fall.
"And this school year from this point on, we will not tolerate the use of this word, this word, this word," said Dr. Brown.
Additionally, Dr. Brown said the community can expect an engaging summit-style "call-to-action" event at Kempsville in late June.
"It'll be done uplifting. It'll be fun, music, message, tons of takeaways, actionable takeaways and people will remember what to do. Parents will know what they can do at home, what they can look for," said Dr. Brown.
At home, he encourages parents to actively listen.
"When you hear things, whether in jest, whether they're playing a video game and they have on headphones and they're screaming things, those are the times, those are the teachable moments, when it happens," Dr. Brown added.
The following statement from Superintendent Dr. Don Robertson was also issued to families last Friday.
As Superintendent of VBCPS, I want to be perfectly clear: Racism, hate speech, harassment, and discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated in our athletic programs or within our schools. We have long-standing policies against discrimination and hate speech, we provide staff training on the importance of belonging and well-being, and we benefit from a diverse student body. I am working closely with families and staff to revisit our policies and practices, enhancing our understanding of diverse cultures, and ensuring strict consequences for those who fail to demonstrate respect for all people.
Through a spokesperson, the families of the two student-athletes targeted by the racist speech and harassment issued a statement. "Our ultimate goal is to move forward, building a united community that values diversity and camaraderie, both in sports and within the classroom," they said in part.