A history teacher took responsibility for painting over three murals in the halls of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School late last week.
A history teacher took responsibility for painting over three murals in the halls of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School late last week, an incident that sparked widespread controversy.
High school principal Sara Dingledy confirmed on Monday that Andrew Vandall had admitted to obliterating the murals on the walls near classrooms where he and Elaine Cawley Weintraub taught. The incident followed close on the heels of Ms. Weintraub’s sudden retirement, announced two weeks ago amid blunt criticism of the school administration.
Ms. Dingledy described the incident as isolated but acknowledged the backlash, including on social media.
“We take it seriously too, this is a school community issue,” she said. “My biggest concern was the staff and students,” she added.
The murals in the hallway outside the history department classrooms had been painted by students through the years in connection with coursework taught by Ms. Weintraub. They included a female Irish sailor, a Brazilian timeline and a portrait of the African American female boxer Emma Maitland. The latter mural was painted last year by a graduating senior who won an award for it in the school’s annual Heritage Trail competition.
Speaking to the Gazette by phone Monday, Ms. Weintraub said she discovered the painted-over murals when she came to the school last Thursday to clean out her classroom.
“I have no idea why someone would do that,” she said.
In a statement emailed to the Gazette Tuesday, Mr. Vandall defended his action, noting that not all the murals were painted over.
“I did not intentionally want to destroy the previous cultural and ethnic artwork, as much still remains untouched and admired,” he wrote. “I wanted to enhance and continue the momentum of sharing to create spaces for current students to grow and show their cultural heritage.”
He also wrote: “If all the old artwork can never be changed, how do we provide current students with space to show their diverse interests and culture?”
Ms. Dingledy said the school had video footage from security cameras that confirmed the incident took place sometime Wednesday evening, June 14. The painted-over murals were discovered the morning of June 15, she said. She could not confirm reports that a second person was involved.
“I do know that there is one staff member that engaged with this, if there was anyone else, it was not someone affiliated with the school,” the principal said.
Citing the need for confidentiality in personnel matters, Ms. Dingledy could not say if Mr. Vandall would face disciplinary action for painting over the murals, but she did confirm that he broke a rule. There is a process in place for painting school walls, she said, and he acted without administration approval.
“The facilities manager manages the walls [and] manages what’s painted on the walls,” she said. “We absolutely take professionalism of teachers seriously,” she added.
Ms. Dingledy said high school staff gathered on Monday to discuss the incident. And said school administrators were working to set something up that would allow students express their reactions to the incident before the last day of school on Wednesday.
In an email that went out to parents early in the week , Ms. Dingledy wrote:
“As you know, student artwork was painted over last week in the 500s wing. Over the weekend, a teacher admitted to painting over the murals. This was done without administrative permission. We will address any further discipline directly with this staff member and with district administration.
“The teacher has sent a letter of apology to the staff and we processed this incident as a faculty. MVRHS will afford students the opportunity to process their feelings and ideas on how to move forward as a school on Wednesday or Thursday with our restorative counselors. We hope that this isolated incident by one individual does not eclipse the great work teachers are doing here every day. There is a great staff here that is fully committed to providing an excellent and inclusive education for all.”
Speaking to the Gazette by phone mid-week, Ms. Dingledy said she was sorry for the students that the incident had cast a shadow across the end of the school year — ordinarily a joyful time with graduation and summer vacation ahead.
“They are caught in the crossfire of an adult conflict, that I think is most unfortunate,” she said.
Comments
Why, Andrew Vandall, WHY have
Sara Oak BluffsWhy, Andrew Vandall, WHY have you taken this unilateral action to obliterate this mural? I'm sure the Island would like to hear a cogent explanation. And what will be done about this person and his behavior? Ms. Dingledy's comment is instructive, but before the rumors proliferate even more, a full explanation from Vandall, any other culpable person, and from Ms. Dingledy for the Island is imperative.
well a pessimist might argue
edward redd oak bluffswell a pessimist might argue "the more things change the more they remain the same.It shows we need to be vigilently instructive and inclusive.Can the murals be restored?
Vandall-ized!
Steve VHVandall-ized!
What gave you the right to do
Pia Webster EdgartownWhat gave you the right to do this, Mr. Vandall? How could you as an individual take it upon yourself to obliterate the work of others? How could you not think of how it would affect the community that created it? Do you know anything about history, or art, or communication, or unity?
So the principal initially
Scott Ryan New JerseySo the principal initially thought it was vandalism....Uh, the destruction of public property IS vandalism....I do know that in New Jersey, the vandal would most likely be suspended, probably with pay pending an investigation.....
My kids went to this school
Mark C OBMy kids went to this school and loved Elaine as a teacher. Never had Mr. Vandall but shouldn't we wait until we hear his side before blasting him on social media? Not saying it was, but it could have been a misunderstanding. It seems the administration had issues with Elaine's teaching methods, not other teachers. So maybe it wasn't a viscous act? Just something to think about. People make mistakes.
Get over it, and move on.
Paulli D EdgartownGet over it, and move on. Seems we have emotional issues on the island about change, new people coming to run our schools, hospitals or anyone else who bring change and new ideas. Why the teacher painted over the murals you ask? Maybe he never liked them or the teacher who just go 15 seconds of fame by retiring in a huff. Time to move on and get on with lives, and things that matter.
Get over it!?! That a TEACHER
Mitzi Pratt AquinnahGet over it!?! That a TEACHER would behave this way doubles the concern.
Very important point!
Blastoff West TisburyVery important point!
Teacher comes into the school
Robert Skydell ChilmarkTeacher comes into the school at night with someone else (read: accomplice)and obliterates several murals of longstanding, the work of students no less which were intended to depict diversity. He explains at great length that his intent was not to show disrespect. “I messed up and I’m getting it,” Mr. Vandall told The Times Tuesday. “Hold me at fault for having poor tact, but please don’t call me racist or culturally insensitive.”
I only want to know what was your intent when you proceeded to paint over the murals?
So far you've only told us what wasn't your intent.
Please don't quote the times
Barb WTPlease don't quote the times in the comments section of a newspaper with a smarter audience.
Take your times reading self elsewhere.
three of my children also
anna tisburythree of my children also painted murals at the high school. fortunately i took photos of them. of course, i was disappointed when they were painted over - i thought they would be there forever! but then i thought, time marches on..and other students would like the opportunity to share their own expressions. maybe i'm not getting something here as i am long out of the "loop". but maybe, just maybe, the walls were painted to give other students a blank canvas. maybe some of the talk about "acceptance and understanding", showing the students how adults get along.. might be translated to the students so they can example to the younger ones some of their ideas and ideals..and the artistic expression of MVRHS students will carry on. give these young people some credit.
Mr. Vandall CHOSE to take it
Slade VHMr. Vandall CHOSE to take it upon himself to paint over murals.
He CHOSE to not confer with anyone at the school regarding his decision.
He CHOSE to perform his actions at an unusual hour.
I would suspect he CHOSE not to tell/ask anyone, and he CHOSE to do this when the school was quiet because he didn’t want anyone to know. Why didn’t he want anyone to know?
Mr. Vandall, teachers must lead by example. A surreptitious act of vandalism is not the example ANYONE wants to be taught to their children. Your example of diminishing the value of what is important to others (for your own benefit) is a TERRIBLE lesson for our children — teaching arrogant self-appropriation of righteousness will only lead to students to demand that their vandalism at the school be as acceptable as yours.
Principal Dingeldy now has NO CHOICE in order to provide a proper example for our entire community to begin to right the wrongs of Mr. Vandall’s poor (and selfish) actions.
Even if she allows him to stay at the school, Mr. Vandall will have little choice to move on with his career somewhere else because the onslaught of public and school pressure on him (for the choices HE made) will be relentless and serve as the community’s message about how we demand POSITIVE examples of behavior in our teachers.
Well said and written...
Susan Desmarais Oak BluffsWell said and written...
Could not be said better. It
Margot lane MenemshaCould not be said better. It's not like he was sleepwalking. He was symbolically obliterating the collective decision making process.
Tempest in a teapot.
Frothandbubble ObTempest in a teapot. Painting the walls their original color does not equal vandalism. Methods may not be great but intent is the key. Let the school handle it and stop teaching the students that it's okay to judge a situation with minimal knowledge from behind a computer screen.
Truer words have rarely been
Cindy Flanders EdgartownTruer words have rarely been spoken. Jumping to conclusions when sitting on the outside looking in has brought far more troubles to people and communities than a can of paint, however foolish the painting. People should be careful what can of worms they want to open.
Get a life!!!! Prima Donna
Ray Thomas TisburyGet a life!!!! Prima Donna teachers, drama queen scandal sniffers, hysterical shrills- it's just a cement wall. There are real people with real lives and real problems out there. Ridiculous!
Judging from some of the more
Chip Coblyn OBJudging from some of the more appeasing comments, one would almost believe it would be a mere 'let's move on' moment if someone came to their home in the middle of the night and defaced it with paint!
Wait, the mural won a
Salty Thumb West TisburyWait, the mural won a Heritage Trail award in the school contest last year?
How many other entrants were there?
My take is, the man probably went in after school hours to freshen up his classroom for next year so he wouldn't fill the crowded halls with paint fumes. Maybe he thought students currently enrolled at the high school might like to have a go at painting a mural, too. Take a look at the beach, kids...the tides come in, the tides go out, and the shoreline is always changing. Give this man a break!
Elaine is a wonderful teacher
p. fisher new jerseyElaine is a wonderful teacher and historian with a strong and impressive national reputation in education and history. It's a shame that she will no longer be at MVHS. The school and Island have suffered a great loss. The Island community needs to get to the bottom of what's happening at the MVHS with the new principal/director and the teacher who took it upon himself in the dead of night to obliterate student work. There is so much going on at MVHS and the community should not let Elaine retire under such circumstances without a thorough investigation. Elaine devoted many years to the school and to the Island's history and she really deserves a better retirement exit from the school than what's she's now getting as she abruptly retires under the leadership of a new rather regimented administration at MVHS.
What's the definition of a
Emma Oak BluffsWhat's the definition of a hate crime?
What's the definition of a conspiracy?
So, basically, a teacher,
GregorSo, basically, a teacher, despite being respected in the community, refuses to be managed in any way and then grandstands in front of the whole island --in the media!-- because she didn't get her way. Now *that's* professionalism! No matter what you think of her teaching, would you be the employee to run to the paper if you didn't get your way at work? Would you want your employees doing that? Think hard. It's pretty easy to see that she is in the wrong here. I feel bad for Ms. Dingledy- I have worked with these sorts of teachers before, and they are a nightmare to manage. Kudos to all the other teachers at MVRHS who have advocated for what they believe in the professional way, and who have embraced key priorities that will help the school.
So glad to see people
James Hamilton Oak BluffsSo glad to see people standing up for common sense and not jumping on the knee-jerk band wagon to howl about the administration. God bless this principal, who is in a classic damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don't situation yet is keeping a calm hand on the rudder. How ironic that someone who won't let kids flick around on cell phones at will in school or smoke in the bathroom is being criticized as heavy handed, yet if they were lenient they'd be criticized just as hard for not having backbone. The howlers may be louder, but the sensible people are finally making their voices heard.
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