WAKEFIELD — School officials and law enforcement authorities continue to investigate the alleged sharing of explicit and inappropriate images of female students by another Wakefield Memorial High student on a social media platform.
Yesterday, investigators issued the following:
“We want to update you to let you know that the Wakefield Police Department and the Wakefield Public Schools continue to work together to investigate the events that occurred last week on Social Media and at WMHS. We have collaborated to support members of the community that have been impacted by these events. The School Administrative Team, Counselors, and the School Resource Officers continue to work at creating safe spaces at school for all students.
“As more information becomes available that we are able to share, we will update the community.”
Last Friday afternoon, amid parental uproar, Wakefield school administrators issued a statement regarding “concerning and damaging social media behavior at WMHS.”
“A core value of the Wakefield Public Schools is to maintain a respectful and caring environment where all students can thrive. A foundational piece of this work is creating a safe space at school that includes preventing and addressing any behaviors that put students at risk. This week, we learned of concerning and damaging social media behavior at WMHS that has impacted many of our students. These behaviors cannot and will not be tolerated in our school community. When things like this occur, our first responsibility as school leaders is to ensure that our students are safe. We take this responsibility seriously at all times, protecting our students both physically and emotionally.
“We are still in the midst of actively investigating, meeting with students, hearing concerns, and working with all of the resources in the school and community, including the Wakefield Police Department. When difficult situations such as this arise, they can be followed by additional social media posts from concerned community members. These posts are often intended to help, but without all of the facts, they can lead to the sharing of misinformation which could be harmful to the students and families involved, as well as the ongoing investigation.
“If you can, we ask that you show empathy for all of the students and families impacted by this situation. These actions alone will support and help our community. If you or your children have questions or concerns, or are in need of support, please reach to school counselors, school administrators, or any of us to help guide this process. We are actively supporting all of our students and families to help our community heal and slowly move forward together.
“As our work continues during this investigation, we will provide additional information as it becomes available.”
