Last week’s incident of racial bias involving John Witherspoon Middle School students brought a rapid, forceful response from school authorities.

“One student falsely accused another student because he was black,” Princeton Public Schools Superintendent Steve Cochrane wrote in a letter to parents, students, and staff. “An investigation immediately ensued. The black student was quickly exonerated. The student making the accusation received appropriate consequences.”

As reported by Princeton High School senior Jamaica Ponder in her online publication Multi Magazine: Exploring the Teenage Diaspora, the mother of an eighth-grade student caught her son and his friends with marijuana brownies. When questioned, the boy said he’d gotten them from a schoolmate, who is African American. The African American young man, however, was apparently completely innocent. The text message exchange between the two boys, as quoted by Ms. Ponder, included the following:

“Why would u tell ur mom I gave u brownies When I didn’t,” the African American boy wrote.

“_____told me to he said they wouldn’t ask any questions Bc ur black,” the other boy replied.

“Once again,” Ms. Ponder commented, “students in Princeton have proven that they are well seasoned in the art of being shamefully racist. Kids aren’t born thinking that the black kid in their class must be a drug dealer. It’s the parents, the media, the education — or lack thereof — and the community’s refusal to address it for the problem that it is.”

Mr. Cochrane emphasized the importance of “honest acknowledgment” and “meaningful dialogue” in combating racism. “Racism exists in our schools just as it does in our society,” he said. “As educators we would be naive to think that we could instantly eradicate it. What we can do — and must do — is acknowledge racial injustice when we see it and teach our students to do the same.”

Mr. Cochrane went on to point out a link to a list of “what we are doing to explore our own implicit biases, to help our teachers facilitate conversations about race with their students, to revise our curriculum through the lens of equity, and to provide opportunities for student voices to be heard and celebrated.”

Referring to meetings during the past weeks with African American teachers and staff, as well as a meeting with community members who were interested in the district’s racial literacy efforts, Mr. Cochrane pointed to initiatives in three different areas: professional development for staff, revision of curriculum, and racial literacy for students.

An April 29 conference at Princeton High School entitled “See Me, Hear Me: Honest Dialogue with Today’s Youth” focused on how race, religion, gender identity, and economics impact students’ lives and learning. “And what did our students tell us?” Mr. Cochrane asked. “Listen to our stories; leverage our energy and ideas into meaningful action; let us join you in making our schools and our society places where everyone can thrive.”