District responds to racist incident at Diablo View High School

The Contra Costa County School District is now looking to turn a racist incident into a learning moment at Diablo View High School in Clayton.

In fact, the Superintendent of Mount Diablo Unified School District believes this incident could spark some difficult but necessary conversations about race.

“Honestly, it disgusts me. Children learn from what they see, and I strongly believe in this,” said Clayton resident Viña Ferrat.

Ferrat is the mother of a student at Diablo View High School. On Friday, she told NBC Bay Area she was still trying to get to the bottom of an incident that happened at the school last week.

The Mount Diablo Unified School District said Thursday a student was disciplined for handing out cotton balls at school to make fun of Black History Month.

This event was so open and blatant that it provided an opportunity for students to create a safe space to talk about harm,” said Dr. Adam Clark, Superintendent of the Mount Diablo Unified School District.

Clark told NBC Bay Area that after the incident was brought to his attention on Thursday, his office immediately notified the parents via email.

On Friday, the school district took it a step further by inviting counselors from its Capital Affairs department to campus to discuss the incident directly with students in the classroom.

Clark believes that simply disciplining students does not solve the larger problem.

“I want to make sure adults are held accountable. Solve this problem, turn them into learning moments, not here to punish, not in the penitentiary system,” he said.

Clarke added that this is just one step towards creating a more inclusive environment in the county. He said that discussions about diversity must continue to bring about sustainable change.

As for Ferr, she appreciates the district’s efforts to ensure that all children feel welcome, including her own.

“It shows that they care, that they are making an effort to make things right,” she said.