Warde Student Charged After Racist Snapchat Post: Fairfield PD

FAIRFIELD, CT — Judith Medor was at work Friday when she got a text from her teenage son, Jamar, asking if they could talk.

This was unusual, so she called right away, only to find he was in the principal’s office. But he wasn’t in trouble. Instead, Judith learned that a classmate of Jamar’s at Fairfield Warde High School had taken a picture of Jamar, who is Black, without his knowledge and posted it on Snapchat, overlaid with text that included a racial slur.

“I was very disturbed by it,” Judith said.

Since the incident Friday, school and law enforcement officials have taken action. A 16-year-old boy has been arrested and charged with second-degree breach of peace and ridicule on account of creed, religion, color, denomination, nationality or race, according to police.

While Fairfield Public Schools Director of Communications Andrea Clark said the school district does not disclose disciplinary action taken against students, Medor said she was told the student behind the post was suspended for 10 days and that a hearing will be held to determine if he will be expelled.

“I want that child to be expelled from the school,” Medor said.

In the wake of the post, Head Principal Paul Cavanna sent out two messages to parents. He also addressed students and staff about the incident, made counselors available and announced an effort to create a long-term plan to foster unity at Warde, beginning with the formation of the Warde Unity Coalition to address discrimination.

“As a school community, we must take a stand against intolerance and treat each other with respect and dignity,” he said in a message Friday.

Medor, who described her son as caring and sensitive, said Jamar had never interacted with the student who posted the photo.

“My son was not even aware that his picture was taken,” she said, adding Jamar chose to learn from home Tuesday after being asked about the incident at school.

She said Jamar can’t stop hearing the hurtful words from the Snapchat post in his head.

“I’m worried for the safety of my son,” she said.

The Medor family has lived in Fairfield for 14 years and this is the first time they’ve encountered such an overt expression of racism, according to Judith, who said she has contacted the Greater Bridgeport NAACP and intends to pursue civil action.

“I’m not going to rest until I find justice for my son,” she said. “I stand against racism, so we’re going to have to do anything in our power to stop it.”