Two Hayward students have been expelled after one created a list of racist slurs that the other then read out in class, a school spokesperson said.
A statement issued on behalf of Moreau Catholic High School, said in part: "The harm caused by the actions of these two students is immeasurable."
A Facebook post by the Samuel Merritt University's Office of Diversity and Inclusion included a photograph of a sheet of lined paper, titled "The ABCs of Slurs." Below it is a list of slurs — one for each letter in the alphabet.
A parent's comment said that a group of minority students who overheard the list being read aloud felt "abandoned" and "silenced" by not only their peer's actions, but also school administrators' response.
The school community is still reeling from the students' offensive actions, which occurred earlier in the week, according to spokeswoman Donna Cumming.
Cumming also acknowledged that a "delay in the decision-making process" caused "hurt, anxiety, and stress," and apologized for the pain inflicted on students, faculity members and families.
"Our administration recognizes that this process could have and should have been conducted in a more timely manner, and with better communication to our students and parents," Cumming continued. "There is nothing more important than all of our students feeling heard, valued, and above all, safe, every day they walk through the doors of our school."
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On Friday, classes were replaced by opportunities for students to process and communicate their feelings and hear from others.
Cumming assured the Moreau Catholic High School community that this is only a first step in an ongoing conversation and effort to "continue to build a positive school climate and culture."
