Allegations of racism at local Catholic private high school
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Allegations of racism are being made against a private Catholic high school in South Buffalo.
News 4 is hearing from multiple Black female students about allegations of ongoing racism at Mt. Mercy Academy — the students are talking anonymously so as to not be retaliated against.
The students say racism toward African Americans has been a problem for their entire high school career and that meetings with administrators and parents hasn’t led to change.
The students tell us it is common to hear racial slurs.
“Through my four years at Mercy, I’ve experienced more racism than I ever did in my life being called the N-word and ‘monkeys’ from students, parents and staff and whenever the situation was brought to administration nothing was ever done about it,” one student said.
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The students go on to say very little has been done to celebrate Black History Month and that the school recently hired a Black teacher. On its website Mt. Mercy says it is dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion.
“Staying here was hard for me I thought about transferring every year, but I felt like if I transfer they won like the racism isn’t going to stop if I just let it go, I’m just not going to deal with it because then other Black girls that go here are going to have to deal with it,” another student said.
Mt. Mercy officials responded to the allegations Wednesday night in a statement to News 4 WIVB’s Jeff Preval, saying “Racism is one of the ‘Critical Concerns of Mercy’ and being a ‘voice for dignity and respect’ is one of the core values by which we execute our mission. We are proud of our students for using their voice. In collaboration with the students and faculty, the school has actively engaged in strategies for ongoing reform and change.”
The statement also listed steps and initiatives the school is taking to “address cultural issues,” which includes “the creation of a Board of Trustees DEI Committee, a recently hired new Diversity Equity and Inclusion Coordinator, a professional development retreat focused on DEI, a collaborative celebration of MLK day with a partner school, and ongoing current Black History Month initiatives.”
“We hope to grow each year,” the statement said. “We know that this work is never done and we actively engage the voices of our students, parents, alumnae, community members and the Sisters of Mercy. We will continue our journey of making an impactful difference in the lives of our students and community.”
Mt. Mercy has been dealing with a separate issue recently, with a teacher being fired after she was suspected of driving drunk on a school bus with kids on board.
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Jeff Preval is an award-winning anchor and reporter who joined the News 4 team in December 2021. See more of his work here.
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