Relatives and friends of the Lynnfield High School Class of 2025 who tuned into the small Massachusetts town’s livestream of graduation ceremonies overheard some unwanted and outdated commentary over a live mic last Friday.
Unnamed city employees, who were apparently setting up chairs on the football field, were recorded saying “inappropriate and racist” remarks, according to Lynnfield town officials.
The video appears to capture footage of workers setting up chairs on the football field for the ceremony. Itemlive.com reports they were clearly heard using at least two racist terms, including the N-word.
“Yeah, I heard you’re a racist (expletive) too,” one man said in the video obtained by WBZ-TV.
“Yeah,” said a second man.
The first man then responded, “It’s the Black man keeping us down.” The second man responded, “Yeah, I hate (expletive) and (expletive).”
“We, as town leaders, stand together in outrage over what has been reported this evening and wish to state emphatically that racist language and behavior has no place in our town and will be dealt with immediately,” read a statement from Town Administrator Robert Dolan and Assistant Town Administrator Robert Curtin. “It is especially regrettable that this incident took place on what is and should be a night to celebrate our incredible seniors.”
The comments were immediately reported to town leaders, including the superintendent and the police chief. Dolan said he learned of the incident around 7 p.m. Friday. It’s unclear how many employees were involved or what position they held. But city officials insisted all the offenders have been identified. They are now on administrative leave awaiting the outcome of an internal investigation of the video and other evidence that may surface.
“When we first saw it, my son was showing it to me on his social media and I was like, my jaw dropped. I was pretty stunned, I think like every parent,” said Lynnfield parent Joel McCarthy. “So I couldn’t believe it, and that obviously went its way around with all the high school kids pretty quickly.”
The live feed has since been removed.
Jamie Hayman, a member of the Lynnfield School Committee, said he felt “personal outrage and deep disappointment” over the incident.
“We can’t ignore the fact that this incident took place at a school event and students were watching,” Hayman wrote on Facebook. “By now, hundreds of Lynnfield Public Schools students have heard these words. And just as importantly, they are now watching what we do next. If we treat this only as a personnel issue, we miss a critical opportunity, to lead, to grow, and to teach.”
Hayman said Lynnfield had a responsibility to “show our students that their community stands firmly against hate and discrimination.”
