Noblesville Schools separated students by skin color for discussions

In 2018, Scott Martin led a videotaped presentation and discussion” at Noblesville Schools after a slur was written on a bathroom stall. During the school day, white students and “students of color” were put into separate classrooms. The “students of color” had a speaker come in to talk to them about their experiences in their school and to have a “listening session” and talk about the racism they experience.

A parent reported, “He told the [white] kids that what happened with the slur being written was partly their fault because of the culture they create at school. He told them they’re all racist even if they don’t recognize it. He told them to walk around apologizing to every person of color they meet for the racism in this world, because we all beat responsibility for it. Kids left classes crying. It was awful. Here they have a person of authority calling them racist and that’s in a world that tells them the very worst thing in life you can be is racist. It was disgusting. Many parents called the school and Dr Niedermeyer [the Noblesville superintendent] brushed off our concerns.”

In June 2020, Niedermeyer suggested families read the books How to Be an Antiracist and White Fragility. Afterwards, a student sent a white student, the daughter of a police officer, a message, “all cops are bastards, especially the one you’re related to.” A parent spoke to the principal, but reported that “nothing was done.”

To view all the school’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion website page, click here.