LYNNFIELD — The end of the school year took a sour note for a couple of young Lynnfield brothers when a group of older boys verbally abused them, using the “N-word” and trying to steal their candy, according to an account from their father.
“The casual use of this word can do a lot of damage, to those who use it and to those who have it used on them,” the victims’ father, Dennis Anderson, wrote in a June 21 Facebook post. “As adults, I would like to think we all know this. If your child is using this word, you need to know. And you need to put an end to it.
“It’s enough to be upset that my kids and their friends were harassed by a group of older kids, it’s another thing to have them singled out for the color of their skin.”
Select Board Chair Dick Dalton said the incident was “disturbing.
“The Select Board will not and cannot tolerate discrimination,” Dalton said Friday. “Rest assured that we are taking appropriate action in this matter.”
Anderson said his sons, ages 7 and 10, had walked from their MarketStreet apartment to IT’SUGAR to buy candy. They were playing catch with three other neighborhood kids when a group of older boys, believed to be eighth graders, started harassing them.
“They attempted to take the bag of candy from the boys and failed,” Anderson said. “The older boys then began verbally abusing my sons and their friends. They told one of the boys, who is Egyptian, that his older brother “smells like s***” and called my boys, who are half black, N- words.”
Anderson said his younger son was “shook up from it” and was taken away from the scene by a friend, fearing the matter would escalate.
“I am not OK with this. I am furious,” Anderson wrote. “TWO DAYS after Juneteenth and this is the state of our town.”
Anderson’s post set off a flurry of comments on Facebook in support of the family, condemning the action.
“This makes me sick to my stomach,” Tracy Miller Geary wrote.
“Absolutely despicable,” wrote Jen D’Ambrosio.
Dalton said he was proud that so many community members expressed their support for the boys and their family.
“The social media posts and acts of kindness were obviously from the heart and, according to the family, very much appreciated,” Dalton said. “Those are the individuals that reflect the true character of this town.”
After learning about the incident, members of the Lynnfield Police Department visited the family on Monday.
“We are aware of the incident from social media posts that day,” said Police Captain Nick Secatore. “Going forward, we will be working with the family.”
Anderson thanked the police for stopping by “to let the boys and us know this type of behavior won’t be tolerated in this town and that we have their full support,” Anderson said in a post on Tuesday. “Yesterday showed us and our children firsthand the utmost of ugly and sad, but quickly followed by the most loving and supportive community we had here in Lynnfield. Thank you to all who reached out with an encouraging comment, message, text, phone call or conversation.”
Anderson asked parents of boys entering the ninth grade who took a bike home from school Monday to “need to have a talk with (their children) TODAY.
“All I remember is one of the boys’ bikes was yellow.” Anderson wrote. “My oldest gave them the gum from the bag just so they’d leave, and, whether they truly know it or not, they responded with such hate.”
The incident comes one year after the town experienced a rash of racially-based incidents of targeted vandalism. After an intensive investigation, a father and son were arrested and charged under the hate crimes statute. The victims (and other neighbors) displayed Black Lives Matter signs on their lawns.
“Let’s also keep in mind that this (the MarketStreet incident) was an act of a few,” Dalton said. “Our town welcomes everyone regardless of their race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status or sexual orientation.”
“The fight against ignorance and racism is far from over, here, in our country and in the world,” Anderson wrote. “The town of Lynnfield has shown it has plenty of fight left within its residents. We can do better. We have to do better.”
