Kathleen Moore reports in the Times Union that about 100 Guilderland High School students walked out of class Oct. 18, protesting a racist school climate that administrators say they have known about for several years. On Oct. 14, two students with their faces painted black attended a school football game. Students were encouraged to wear black in a school spirit effort, but the students in black face triggered another student to begin chanting “Black lives matter.” Then the two students wearing face paint mocked the chant, according to the accounts of several students. The story also says that, "at least one of the students wearing black paint made derogatory comments to them at the game and later posted racist statements on social media." Superintendent Marie Wiles confirmed the incidents described by students, but said she could not comment on any disciplinary action. But Wiles did say she was not surprised. “Not long after the killing of George Floyd, we had some graduates who reached out to me and shared similar stories about their experiences here,” she said. “They were a powerful catalyst for our district to start doing a lot more purposeful work around diversity, equity and inclusion.” Wiles met with the students who walked out in the school lobby and is planning small-group listening sessions. “What I heard on Tuesday underscored for me the need for us to be even better listeners to all our students,” she said. “We need to truly understand what their day-to-day experiences are in this building.” Read more about this story in the Times Union.