Wayland School Committee to update bias policy after swastikas appear in town

WAYLAND — November 15, 2023 — Wayland parents and students demand action after swastikas appear at school and playground. Jewish residents packed the Nov. 15 School Committee meeting after swastikas were carved into ball-field playground slides and painted on Rice Road within a day of one another, following two antisemitic incidents at Wayland Middle School in October. Superintendent Dr. David Fleischman said the district will draft an updated bias and discrimination response policy and confirmed Wayland has launched its first secondary-school affinity groups. Select Board member Anne Brelsford, speaking personally, called for a school-focused equity audit and dedicated funding. "Where are the assemblies and the speakers denouncing antisemitism?" asked Allison Cates, president of Jewish Family Service of Metro West's board. Finance Director Susan Bottan separately reported FY23 closed with a $326 balance on a $47.16 million budget and that $419,000 was cut from the FY25 capital plan.