Private school apologises to Black students following allegations of racism on Instagram

‘We deeply regret and apologise for the pain suffered by anyone within our walls’

Officials at a private school in Connecticut have offered an apology to students after a social media account levied a number of allegations of racism against Black students.

An anonymous Instagram account, @BlackAtKing, began posting anonymous allegations against the King School in Stamford, Connecticut, and its staff members last year, making accusations of racial bias and discrimination.

According to the Connecticut Post, the campaign begun in the wake of the murder of George Floyd in May 2020 by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.

Among a host of accusations on the account, respondents alleged that there had been instances of racial slurs, double standards for Black students, and “whitewashing” of issues that had been raised.

Months after the account’s creation, a letter obtained by the Post has shown King’s administration and the board of trustees apologising for the experiences of Black students at the school this month.

In the letter, which was released amid the trial of Chauvin, who was later convicted of Floyd’s killing, the school says: “We deeply regret and apologise for the pain suffered by anyone within our walls.”

The newspaper stipulated that King School officials have declined to respond to any specific allegations shared on the forum. The Independent has reached out to the school for comment.

The document outlines actions taken following “sincere consideration to the eye-opening and heartbreaking testimonies shared in various forums.”

It reads: “The painful stories that we heard from members of our school community and the social unrest that took place during the summer of 2020 led us to take a deep look within ourselves, confront the mistakes of the past, and enact change.”

The school shared that it had hired a law firm to investigate the accusations, as well as identify ways to make the institution more inclusive and diverse.

“The firm’s work looked into allegations that involved some members of the King community and informed the work that we have conducted and that we will continue to do,” they said.

When questioned about accusations in the social media posts a school spokesman told the Post that King School officials would not be commenting and referred the newspaper to the letter.

The letter said that the school could not “as a rule, provide details about personnel matters” but said that the “review was designed to help our community move forward”.

“Our goal to become a more inclusive school and an anti-racist institution will require us to work to ensure a safe space for every member of our community – especially for those who belong to communities of colour,” the letter said.

The school provides preschool, elementary, middle, and high school education to over 37 communities with annual fees between $34,050 (£24,500) and $46,760 (£33,600).