'White Privilege' survey found in high school upsets Republican lawmaker: 'Is it to inflame tensions and single out?'

Elise Solé
A 'White privilege’ exercise was found on a bulletin board at a New York City school with a two-percent white student population. (Photo: Getty Images)
A "White privilege" exercise was found on a bulletin board at a New York City school with a two percent white student population. (Photo: Getty Images)

A “White Privilege” questionnaire was found on a bulletin board in a New York City school, and a Republican lawmaker asked, “What could even be the purpose of this in a school that has so few white students?”

According to the New York Post, the two-page survey was hung outside of the principal’s office at Life Sciences Secondary School (grades 9-12) in Manhattan. It was found by a city worker, who sent photos to Republican City Councilman Joseph Borelli.

The “White Privilege Exercise” asks people to rank statements for relevance, examples of which read, “I can be in the company of people of my race most of the time”; “If I should need to move, I can be pretty sure of hassle-free renting or purchasing in an area in which I would want to live”; and, “I can go shopping alone most of the time pretty well assured that I will not be followed or harassed.”

Yahoo Lifestyle could not reach Botelli for comment.

“What could even be the purpose of this in a school that has so few white students? Is it to inflame tensions and single out?” he told the New York Post. “Given the school’s abominable test and college readiness scores, perhaps the chancellor should be concerned that they are not teaching enough math and English.”

Mantell Will, press secretary for the New York City Department of Education (DOE), tells Yahoo Lifestyle the school is “having real conversations about race and equity."

According to a DOE statement: “The school started a pilot [program] around Courageous Conversations About Race with 15 staff and students last school year; based on the positive feedback, the school expanded the program to more teachers and students this year. It has continued to receive positive feedback. The focus of the program is building better relationships between students and staff, helping staff better serve the students in their classroom, and helping to close the achievement gap. The ‘white privilege exercise’ is part of the Courageous Conversations training that some schools participate in, but it is not the central part of the training (or the bulletin board).”

The educational nonprofit Great Schools reports that Life Sciences Secondary School’s white population is two percent. Hispanic children account for 61 percent and black students 30 percent. “Very concerning: Test scores for low income students at this school fall far below the state average for all students,” reads the website.

According to The Hill, four white staffers at the New York City Department of Education — who claim they were demoted under less-experienced minorities — are suing the employer for “an environment which is hostile toward whites.”

DOE press secretary Will told The Hill, “We hire the right people to get the job done for kids and families, and any claim of ‘reverse racism’ has no basis in fact. We’ll continue to foster a supportive environment for all our employees.”

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