Longmeadow high School sophomores Sophia Hernandez and Kendall Broughton look down over a banner recognizing the school’s status as “No Place for Hate.”
Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen
LONGMEADOW — Last year Longmeadow High School announced it received No Place for Hate status, and now the Anti-Defamation League has made it official.
The school was recognized with an official banner for its student-led efforts to combat hate and bias and create a welcoming, inclusive culture.
Last year, the school’s peer leadership class, under the direction of Substance Use Response Coordinator Shelly Warren, spearheaded the implementation of No Place for Hate, a school climate, antibias and bullying prevention program from the Anti-Defamation League. The Anti-Defamation League was organized at the start of the 20th century “To stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all.”
In 1999, the group created the No Place for Hate program for schools. The program’s goal is to combat bias and create more equitable and inclusive communities. No Place for Hate encourages students and staff to reflect on the community’s multifaceted identity, acknowledge the value of a diverse society, and recognize and confront bias, both in oneself and in others.
At Longmeadow High School, the peer leaders began the No Place for Hate implementation by meeting with the Parent Advisory Council and analyzing school climate data, which is collected each year. The peer leaders then worked with health classes on identity, diversity, bullying and allyship, and ran a workshop for the athletic team captains to teach them how to address students using slurs. The peer leaders also led a No Place for Hate pledge drive. Sophomore and peer leader Sophia Hernandez said they have spent time speaking with other students about how to spread anti-hate messaging and behaviors and have publicized resources to use if someone experiences hate.
“The fact that it keeps happening,” Hernandez said, referring to hate speech at school, “There’s nothing we can fully do to stop it, but we keep trying to educate people.” Recent incidents of hate speech in Longmeadow schools include a swastika drawn on a high school whiteboard in January and antisemitic graffiti at Williams Middle School in March.
Warren said the March incident happened to coincide with a visit by peer leaders to the middle school. She said her students were disappointed to learn about the incident but took heart that the seventh grader who reported the graffiti had attended the peer leadership earlier that day.
“We live in a world that’s pretty polarized,” said Longmeadow High School Principal Thomas Landers. Partnering with the Anti-Defamation League to bring the No Place for Hate curriculum to the schools was a “no brainer,” he said, adding that the Anti-Defamation League is a “proven partner in fighting racism and antisemitism.”
Landers said the student leadership behind the anti-hate campaigns is a reminder to “check your biases at the door and challenge ourselves to be a better person.” Longmeadow Public Schools Superintendent M. Martin O’Shea similarly praised the work done by students. He said they are, “a reflection of who we are, what we stand for and who we want to be.” The administration has worked to embed those aspirations into the district through policies and practices, he said.
The banner ceremony included a video of high school students and staff sharing their anti-hate experiences, from being made to feel welcome to letting others know they are a part of the school’s culture. Director of Student and Family Support Nilda Irizarry announced that Longmeadow High School received a $35,000 grant for equity work from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. That funding will be used to fight incidents of hate.
Recognition by the Anti-Defamation League required students to demonstrate how they stand up for anti-hate ideals and behaviors, Warren said. She explained that anti-hate is not always dramatic. “It really takes place in encounters in the hallways and locker rooms, all the backroom places,” she said.
Even before participating in the No Place for Hate program, Warren said Longmeadow Public Schools has a long history of promoting inclusivity. The peer leadership program predates Warren’s tenure, but she said she became excited about the program when she joined the School Department.
Irizarry commented that it has been Warren’s “life work” to “ensure schools are safe and welcoming.”
Warren said the No Place for Hate program dovetails her work as the substance use response coordinator because studies have shown that a healthier, inclusive school climate helps reduce substance use among young people. She said peer leadership in action can be seen in students helping students. “It really is about being a good human being and being welcoming,” Warren said.
Another peer leader, sophomore Kendall Broughton, was enthusiastic about the peer leadership program and the impact she sees they have. “I love it so much and it’s for a good cause. If they see us preaching positive experiences, it’s different than, like, a teacher,” she said. Reflecting on the polarized climate in the Unites States, Broughton is confident that the work the peer leaders are doing will have a long-lasting impact. “Obviously, it shouldn’t happen,” she said of incidents of hate, but added. “If you look at the grand picture, we’re a part of it. We can build from this.”
