An open letter to the Grant High School community:
The time has come for us as responsible students, athletes, individuals and a school community to openly and honestly address what happened, put the rumors to rest and focus on what is really important – making sure this doesn’t happen again. We want to use this opportunity to share what we learned from the experience, highlight the serious issue of hazing and share our pride for Grant High School.
Our culture must change. As responsible athletes and students, we can no longer laugh it off and make bullying, intimidation, hazing or “G-ing” seem normal and not a big deal. There has been a culture of silence and secrecy around this, and we hope moving forward that individuals take accountability for their part in stopping these incidents before they go too far.
For the record, we had no problems with each other before the incident and that still is the case. We had the opportunity to talk things out and realized that we can be friends and still be accountable to each other for what happened. We want everyone to know that while those of us involved in crafting this statement did not engage in the actual act of “G-ing,” we also did not do our part to stop the attempt. Our wrong was in not recognizing that it was going too far, not stopping it and silencing our voices when we should have spoken out before, during and after the incident. Together, we have talked about this, apologized, forgiven and taken meaningful action to make things as right as we can with each other and our school community.
We want to clear up the rumors and assumptions that this was all about race. It’s frustrating to hear this because we look at each other as teammates and friends. This had and has nothing to do with race. In fact, a few us are of mixed racial identity and claiming this is a black-on-white issue is completely false. Hazing and crossing the line is an issue that affects all students, regardless of race.
As a group, we’ve taken the burden in the here and now for something that has been going on for a long time. Those involved are taking ownership for this mistake. As a community, we all need to do the same. It’s the responsibility of every student to speak up and do the right thing. We also want to squash the rumor that weapons were involved, but we are aware that these events can lead to serious fear on behalf of students to the point that they could carry weapons or do something drastic to defend themselves, and we don’t want to see that happen.
We now realize what started as horseplay went too far and turned into something serious. There is a fine line between what can be intended as messing around and how that can turn into something serious and have a harmful impact on others. Strong bonds between teammates are built on mutual respect for each other on and off the court or field. Real teammates respect personal space and privacy – we should do what we need to do in the locker room and nothing more. Horseplay happens, but there is a clear line that needs to be respected and it is the responsibility of everyone around to make sure things stop when the line is crossed.
Most importantly, students need to know they can talk about this with an adult, whether as a witness or victim. It takes more courage to stand up and say something than to sit back and do nothing. As a group, we urge all students throughout Grant High School and across PPS to talk to an adult, teacher or staff member when hazing happens. Don’t fall into the “snitching” trap. This is a serious issue and these situations never end well when we remain silent and don’t stand up to stop it.
We love Grant High School and have a lot of pride when it comes to our school community. What happened is not what Grant is all about and it is upsetting to all of us to see this single incident be the thing that people associate with Grant and Grant athletics. From here forward, we hope the legacy of Grant athletics continues to only make the news for producing excellent students, athletes and winning records. We have been relieved to be able to talk with each other and sort out what really happened, make apologies where needed and come to an understanding about the event. We are ready to see closure to this so we can move forward with our friendships and lives at school.
– A message from the students involved in the January 12th incident
who are still involved with the Grant school community.
