By Allison Perrine
MIDDLETOWN – The Middletown Township School District had an important decision to make regarding its graduation ceremonies this year to host them virtually in June or wait until July for in-person celebrations, per the governor’s orders amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Ultimately, the district opted for both, with a virtual ceremony held June 17 and in-person ceremonies set for July 8 and 9. But when things looked like it would be virtual-only celebrations for the Class of 2020, some were satisfied while others definitely weren’t.
In-person graduation ceremonies for Middletown North and South high schools are set for July 8 and 9, following a push by members of the student body and parents. The virtual ceremony was held June 17.
On June 1, about 20 students from the district’s two high schools North and South came together to peacefully protest in front of the district board of education building in support of an in-person graduation ceremony. They had the backing of hundreds more through signed petitions.
“It was our intention all along to develop the most comprehensive, in-place, meaningful experience for them. At the same time, very importantly following the CDC, the state Department of Health, Department of Education and the governor’s mandates,” said William O. George III, superintendent of schools for the Middletown district. “In the end, that’s exactly what we’re going to have.”
The nicknamed “Let Them Walk” protest arose at the same time millions across the country were marching to support the Black Lives Matter movement. Protests against racism and police brutality swelled in the wake of George Floyd’s death, a black Minnesota man who died during an arrest when a white police officer knelt on Floyd’s neck for over eight minutes.
Seeing the Let Them Walk protest in her hometown, Jada Tulloch, the valedictorian of Middletown High School North, shared a message on Instagram as to why she felt these protest actions were inappropriate. A media uproar ensued, with many parents in the district both supporting and negating her views.
THE INSTAGRAM POST
On June 1, Jada, who plans to attend Columbia University in the fall, posted a 55-second video to her Instagram account that has now been viewed over 30,700 times. She said that if she, a young black woman at the top of her class, could not make an in-person speech at graduation, others should not complain.
“For some of you, graduation may represent your academic achievements, your athletic achievements, your grand acceptance into National Honor Society or you just want to show off your cute graduation outfit. But for me, graduation represents the fact that I’ve survived years of racial discrimination, oppression and disgusting comments from the close-minded people that I surround myself with in this God-forsaken town,” said Jada.
“If I don’t care about graduation right now, I don’t know how you could,” she continued. “Put your energy into something that actually matters. Stop trying to invalidate the Black Lives Matter movement and the protests against police brutality by comparing the injustices faced by minorities to the oppression that you’re facing from the board of ed.”
The Two River Times reached out to Jada for comment several times on multiple platforms but did not receive a reply by press time.
The response to Jada’s post was immediate. And not all of it was kind.
People, many of them parents, took to social media to comment. One user said Jada admitted that her remarks of oppression were not about her but about a bigger picture, “Yet you make yourself out as a victim of racism just because you were apparently the only black student in class,” the person wrote. “Perhaps people just didn’t like you. That is allowed, you know. You come across as obnoxious. And I can say that without being racist.”
Another said this “God forsaken town” gave her the opportunity to be as well educated as she is. And one called her “nothing but an imposter and a clout chaser,” paired with a clip of Jada speaking positively of her educational career in the past.
Some even said she should not speak at graduation, virtually or in-person and had harsher words.
Others, however, spread messages of support for Jada. One person said they have “seen a lot of racist behavior in Middletown” and claimed racists from out-of-state move to the township and raise their children there with the same racist behaviors. Another said she has heard “these exact words” from her daughters’ mouths after graduating from North a few years ago.
The superintendent has supported Jada as well. In a letter to the community dated June 4, three days after the video was posted, George addressed the controversy.
“We support our Middletown High School North valedictorian, Jada Tulloch, in using her voice to share her perspective and speak out against racism,” he wrote, adding that racially insensitive words of a few do not represent the community or the school district. “We received correspondence from hundreds of people who wrote to denounce the social media posts on a platform not affiliated or sanctioned by the school district.”
George told The Two River Times Wednesday that he could not share Jada’s updated graduation speech before it was released during the ceremony, but did describe it as “outstanding” and “tremendous.”
“I’m so proud of her. I mean, it’s a real reflection of what an outstanding student and person that Jada is,” said George, who announced his retirement in May. He will remain in the superintendent position until Sept. 1 and will become an assistant professor in the department of educational counseling and leadership at Monmouth University’s School of Education.
IN-PERSON GRADUATION PROTESTORS
George said he fully supported the Let Them Walk protest. He spoke with each student about their opinion on graduation, as did the principals of both North and South high schools. Aside from the protest, the students collected over 1,000 signatures of support for the in-person ceremony and reached out to elected officials on local, county and state levels. They even sent the petitions to Murphy’s home in Middletown.
“We really want, as part of our curricular initiatives, our kids to be leaders,” said George. “We want them to find their voice on important issues. We want them to advocate for themselves. We want them to advocate for their community and society right up and through global issues and here’s an example of them doing it.”
One of the students involved in the Let Them Walk initiative was Olivia Cerbo, a graduating senior from Middletown North. Her mom, Susan Cerbo, was one of the many parents who commented on her Facebook account about Jada’s video.
Cerbo said she felt Jada undermined the work of the Let Them Walk protestors who did it “through the proper channels” and peacefully worked for an in-person ceremony. Cerbo felt it discouraged and bullied other students from participating in the Let Them Walk rally.
“I hope one day that we all learn not to diminish a cause, a race, an occupation, a town through inciting language or provocative social media. There are no winners in that,” she told The Two River Times. “I just believe there is a way to get all voices heard through truthful conversation and a meaningful democratic process.”
On June 8, Assemblyman Gerry Scharfenberger said in a social media post that he commended the students’ efforts gathering signatures for petitions and making their voices heard. “This milestone event should not be denied, especially when the governor sanctions and even encourages large outside protests,” he wrote.
Similarly, Mayor Tony Perry posted June 1 that he loved the fight by the Class of 2020 to have an in-person graduation. “One of the most memorable days for an individual should not be taken away due to political expedience,” he wrote.
LOOKING AHEAD
In a letter George distributed to the school community June 10, he described steps the district is taking to strengthen its culture of anti-racism. That includes building on academic and co-curricular offerings, professional development and resources to identify and address racial issues, biases and discrimination for students, parents and staff, George wrote.
The district has partnered with Monmouth University in West Long Branch to participate in The Central Jersey Consortium for Excellence and Equity, according to George. Over the past two school years, students in secondary schools across the district have been enrolled in this shared learning program “for continuous improvement in eliminating the disparities in achievement and school engagement among students,” he wrote. The 2019-2020 school year topic was about bias and inequality in education.
Additionally, Middletown High School North has participated in The School Climate Transformation Project, he wrote, which is designed to promote a positive and inclusive school climate. And moving forward, the district is developing an Equity Council district wide to establish a forum for a continued conversation of anti-racism.
“I acknowledge that our work is a humble beginning to combat a systemic global and societal issue,” George wrote. “Our schools will continue to evolve in addressing the challenges of racism, bias, inequality and oppression.”
The article originally appeared in the June 18-24, 2020 print edition of The Two River Times.
