Copyright The Boston Globe
But last week, leaders of Jewish organizations reported that the five football players involved in the incident were back on the team. The groups were told that five senior football players locked a Jewish freshman football player in the bathroom and sprayed Lysol through a grate in the door while yelling antisemitic slurs at him. Jewish groups condemned the decision to reinstate the players, and two Smithfield Town Council members called for Bartz to resign over her handling of the situation. Richard Iannitelli, chairman of the Smithfield School Committee, has issued a statement saying the committee “is aware of the concerns that have arisen from members of our community regarding the handling of the recent incident” involving the football team. And, he said, “We take these concerns very seriously.” “The School Committee will consider conducting a thorough review of the administrative response, and the steps taken by the district to address the matter,” Iannitelli said. “Our goal is to ensure that all actions taken align with district policies, uphold our community’s values, and maintain a safe and inclusive environment for every student.” Iannitelli asked for “patience and civility as this process unfolds,” saying, “The School Committee remains committed to transparency, fairness, and to supporting both accountability and learning throughout our schools.” Bartz could not be reached on Wednesday. She issued a one-sentence statement last week which said, “The disciplinary process has concluded, and we will not be discussing details involving students.” Adam Greenman, president and CEO of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, on Wednesday agreed that the School Committee needs to conduct a thorough review of how the hazing was handled. “We need transparency. We need accountability. The status quo is unacceptable right now,” Greenman said. “We need to understand how Smithfield High School and the school department is going to ensure all the kids in their care understand that antisemitism and hate have no place in our society.” Also, Greenman said he wants to see the school district follow through on plans for staff training and anti-bias education for students. He said the daughter of a Holocaust survivor met with the football team after the incident, but more education and training is needed. Smithfield Town Manager Robert W. Seltzer said the school committee is expected to meet Monday night to review the matter, and the committee has its regular meeting scheduled for Nov. 6. Seltzer said a joint meeting of the Town Council and School Committee had been set for Tuesday, but that was postponed because the controversy was expected to draw more people than could be accommodated in the Town Council chambers. He said town officials did not want to have to turn away people who came out to comment, so the joint meeting will be rescheduled. Seltzer said he does not know why the school administration decided to reinstate the football players involved in the incident. “I am hoping we can get to the bottom of that and get the details out to the community and understand why the decision was made,” he said. “I am concentrating on trying to mend things.” The incident has drawn a lot of negative attention to this town of more than 22,000 people. “This is obviously not the attention we want,” Seltzer said. “This is a great community to live in. This is a very unfortunate situation. It is in no way characteristic of this town. From the municipal side of government, we take position that if there is a problem, we like to address it, solve it, and move on.” Meanwhile, other religious groups are standing in solidarity with the Jewish organizations and speaking out about the incident. The Rev. Jeremy Langill, executive minister of the Rhode Island State Council of Churches, and the council’s governing board issued a statement condemning “the antisemitic hazing of a Jewish student at Smithfield High School.” “Bullying, hazing, and antisemitism are wrong all the time,” the State Council of Churches said. “We are inextricably bound together in a common humanity, and in our daily lives of faith, we understand the importance of advocating for a love-based reality while acknowledging the very real pain we inflict on one another.” The council called for Smithfield school administrators, town leaders, and parents “to meaningfully address the culture that has allowed such unacceptable behavior and to engage in sincere efforts at accountability.” The Rev. Bernard A. Healey, executive director of the Rhode Island Catholic Conference, issued a statement saying, “The Rhode Island Catholic community stands in solidarity with the Jewish community in strongly condemning all antisemitic attacks that are on the rise throughout the country and the recent antisemitic hazing of a Jewish student at Smithfield High School.” The statement quoted Pope Francis, who said: “The path that the Church has walked with you, the ancient people of the covenant, rejects every form of anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism, unequivocally condemning manifestations of hatred toward Jews and Judaism as a sin against God.” “Antisemitism must be strongly rejected in any forum,” Healey said, “and the youth of our state must be instructed how to root out all hatred and bigotry, especially antisemitism, in our local communities, state, country, and world.”
