‘Abhorrent and Repulsive’: Newton Police Investigating Racist Word on Sidewalk

Police are asking for the public’s help after the n-word was found written in tape on a sidewalk in Newton, Massachusetts.

The racist word was found at the intersection of Albermarle Road and Watertown Street on Sunday. Police have canvassed the neighborhood and are actively investigating.

“We find these type of incidents to be abhorrent and repulsive and as a community, it tears the very fabric of what we stand for,” Lt. Bruce Apotheker of the Newton Police Department said.

The Anti-Defamation League, the Newton Human Rights Commission and Newton Public Schools have also been notified. As police search for the person responsible, town leaders are speaking out against the hateful message on social media.

“This is not who we are as a community,” Newton Mayor Ruthanne Ruller said in a statement. “Newton stands united against racial discrimination and all forms of hate.”

For Newton mom and former school committee member Angela Pitter-Wright, the issue goes beyond the racist word found on the sidewalk. Last week, she spoke at a school committee meeting after several reports of students using the n-word at Newton North High School.

“People somehow feel that it’s okay and it’s not okay,” Pitter-Wright said. “It’s Black History Month and we need to take every opportunity to remind them that it’s not okay. It should not be used in any context at all.”