MOEEP Responds to Racist Graffiti at FHHS
PFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 26, 2025
Missouri Equity Education Partnership Responds to Racist Graffiti at Francis Howell High School
St. Louis, MO – The Missouri Equity Education Partnership (MOEEP) stands in full solidarity with the students and families targeted and impacted by the racist graffiti discovered in a bathroom at Francis Howell High School on September 24, 2025.
This act should not be treated as a prank, misunderstanding, nor an isolated incident–it should be addressed and treated as violent behavior. It reflects a consistent and deeply troubling pattern at Francis Howell, where repeated incidents have raised urgent questions about the district’s culture and climate. It is time to recognize and address what is clearly signs of racial discord within the district, and only once we face a problem can we begin to address it.
We call on the Francis Howell Board of Education and administration to:
Name this act as violence and clearly denounce it in the strongest possible actions and words..
Conduct a thorough, transparent, and vigilant investigation to hold all responsible parties accountable, ensuring consequences are aligned with the harm caused.
Provide immediate support and protection for Black students and other students in the targeted groups, including mental health resources, culturally responsive supports, and additional measures to ensure safety.
The district has both an ethical and legal mandate to create a safe learning environment for all students in its attendance area. Yet, the actions of some students, as well as the failures of some board members to act with courage and responsibility, have produced the opposite. Racism is not only an affront to Black students and families but to all students, families, and staff in the district. However, we must concentrate on mitigating the direct harm caused by these increasingly more common and violent incidents that have targeted select groups of students.
The students of Francis Howell—and across Missouri—deserve to learn in schools free from fear, intimidation, and hatred. MOEEP urges district leadership to rise to this moment with honesty, accountability, and a renewed commitment to building a safe, inclusive educational environment.
