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Walkout, Demands As Westfield State Grapples With Racist Incidents

A large crowd gathered on the green at Westfield State University to stand against racism in a rally organized by the education department.
Don Treeger
/
The Republican
A large crowd gathered on the green at Westfield State University to stand against racism in a rally organized by the education department.

Faculty in the education department at Westfield State are demanding the university require employees be taught about whiteness and white supremacy. This follows racist incidents including notes on dorm room doors of some black students.

Barbara Goff, a professor focusing on special education, said students were not involved with the drafting of the demands, but were able to give .

"Our feeling is that our students need to know that their faculty stand in solidarity, that we are not letting them suffer this alone," Goff said.

To bring attention to the issues, Goff said students, faculty and s took part in a walkout Tuesday afternoon.

In an email, Westfield State said it will review the demands and try to meet them "where possible." The statement also said s are "dispirited and disheartened" by the racist incidents.

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