School district in Macomb County admits principal mishandled racist graffiti incident
The principal “failed to communicate this issue properly,” the district said
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Lakeview Public Schools acknowledged Tuesday that the high school principal mishandled a disturbing case of racist graffiti by failing to inform parents about the nature of the message.
The district issued a statement several hours after Metro Times reported that Lakeview High School Principal Scott Kapla sent an email to families that omitted a key detail: The spray-painted messages included the N-word.
“The high school principal’s email to LHS families failed to communicate this issue properly, and it did not represent the position of Lakeview Public Schools,” the district said in the news release.
The graffiti, recently discovered on two exterior walls of the school, included the phrases, “No N***gers.” Another message containing the N-word was also sprayed onto the building.
“Acts of vandalism do not reflect the values of our school community, and we are working diligently to ensure our campus remains a safe, respectful, and welcoming environment for all students and staff,” Kapla wrote.
The omission outraged some residents, including Melissa Crook, a St. Clair Shores activist who spoke out at Tuesday’s school board meeting.
After the meeting, Crook said she felt better about the situation because it appeared the school board and superintendent were upset with the principal’s message.
“It seems that the principal very much needs some training on racism,” Crook tells Metro Times. “This is clearly a blind spot for him to think it was simple graffiti. Or maybe it’s worse than that. The school board has to decide. There has to be accountability. It’s completely unacceptable.”
In the news statement, Superintendent Karl Paulson condemned the graffiti as an “act of hate and intolerance” and promised a full investigation.
“Every student and staff member in our district deserves to feel safe, valued, and respected,” Paulson wrote. “We are taking this matter very seriously and are committed to supporting our students and staff as we work to ensure accountability and healing. Once identified, the perpetrators of these actions will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The district said the vandalism was removed within hours, and the matter was turned over to local police. An internal investigation is underway.
