Student government: 'No viable excuse' for offensive chants

(The following is a letter from the Wilton High School Student Government addressing the Nov. 11 incident in which some Wilton students chanted “build the wall” during a football game against Danbury High School.) To Whom It May Concern, The events that transpired last Friday night were perceived to be offensive and there is no viable excuse in defense of them. We personally do not believe there was dangerous or malicious intent behind the comments and we have heard from several sources that they were solely used to cheer on the football team’s defense. However, that doesn’t mean that the majority of the student body condones this politically and socially insensitive behavior. Emotions have been running very high post-election no matter what side of the political spectrum students are on, therefore acting out in ways like this are, while to be expected, wholly inexcusable. Only Jackson was present at the game as he played in the band, but as students we immediately felt uncomfortable upon hearing this news as we didn’t expect it to come from such an inclusive student body — as well as fearful of the greater implications of the chants. All in all, while we do not believe this behavior is representative of the students as a whole, and we have seen great support for those who were disheartened, upset, or scared by election results, we do believe it needs to be addressed in a more serious manner so that the entirety of Wilton High School knows that offensive behavior is intolerable. We will continue to do our part as student leaders to promote kindness, empathy, and positivity in light of such a controversial election. We hope that administration will in turn do their part to work towards building an entire community of inclusion and kindness — as well as fostering environments to share opinions in intellectual ways without targeting any specific groups. To us, Wilton High School has always been a welcoming environment, and we will partner with administration to harbor a community that treats each other with respect and empathizes with the tribulations of others.Brooke AmodeiWHS Executive Vice-PresidentJackson WalkerWHS Executive President

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