An investigation is underway in Mathews after a threatening, racist message was left on the wall in the boys bathroom at Mathews High School. And superintendent David Daniel has come under fire for waiting days to notify the public.
On January 16, Daniel sent out a “Dear MCPS Families” message notifying them that on Wednesday, January 10, “ a racist, threatening statement was etched onto the wall of one of the restrooms.”
Daniel’s message went on to say, “Mathews County Public Schools condemns this action in the strongest possible way and it in no way represents the students of Mathews High School nor will it come to define who we are as a school community. This unspeakable act has fractured the safety of our students and will not be tolerated. We will be working with our student leadership, faculty & staff, and community organizations to push back against racism.”
The message added that counseling is available for any student who needs, and reported that an joint investigation was underway with police.
One of the people who helped pressure Daniel to push that message out was Yvette Willis Gaither, member of the Mathews branch NAACP.
“Imagine how the Black kids feel when you see something engraved, they could not erase. It was engraved, and it said ‘KILL N…s.’ And nothing was said,” she told WAVY10.
Daniel accepted responsibility for poor handling of the situation, telling WAVY10, “It is a failure on my part. So, I should have been more diligent, and more active in communicating with our community, letting them know what is going on.”
On the evening of the 16th, he kicked off the regularly school board meeting reading the full message that had been sent out to families. Afterward, he added, “We all completely, honestly, and whole-heartedly condemn this situation, this action by an individual.”
Mathews Sheriff’s Office also posted a message about the incident on its Facebook page on January 16th. It says the incident occurred on the 10th and MSCO was made aware on the 11th.
MCSO is offering a financial reward to any party that will lead to a successful prosecution of this crime. Those with information are encouraged to contact Sgt. J. Berry at 804-725-7177 or call Crime Solvers at (804)725-7001.
Meanwhile, the Mathews County Public Schools website has an anonymous reporting form posted that is accepting information about the incident.
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