photo by: Alan Olson

Marshall County Schools Superintendent Shelby Haines and Moundsville city councilman Gene Saunders recap the events of Monday morning's meeting to create a community task force to combat racism.

MOUNDSVILLE — Members of the Marshall County community came together to address concerns of racial discrimination and racism within the school system.

About a dozen people met with representatives from Marshall County Schools on Monday morning, from parents and coaches to elected officials, with the goal of identifying issues with racial discrimination within the county as a whole, and the school system in particular. Monday’s meeting was an exploratory meeting, where an open discussion was held on what first steps the task force should pursue and who should join their ranks

Superintendent Shelby Haines said the district was creating the task force in an attempt to positively impact the community starting with its youngest participants.

“We are looking to work together to make a change in our community,” Haines said. “We realized that there is an issue in this area, probably all over the state, and whenever we hear that there’s an issue, we really try to take action. We spoke about a number of things, such as working with coaches, working with community leagues so we start at a younger age, working with the NAACP, who was here today, on some statewide initiatives.

“I think it’s very important for Marshall County, and every county, to realize what strengths and weaknesses they may have, and if there’s an area of concern it needs to be addressed.”

Moundsville City Councilman Gene Saunders was among those selected for Monday’s initial meeting of the task force. At a previous city council meeting, Saunders had spoken of rumors he’d heard about Marshall County student-athletes allegedly using racial slurs to taunt rival players, which had troubled him greatly, and spurred him to get involved.

“Our main topic was calling (of) names from students, especially on the football fields, and in schools itself — I’ve heard different parents come to talk about middle and high schools,” Saunders said Monday. “We came up with a plan of how we’re going to fight this. These kids, when they’re (growing up), they have to know what’s out there in the world, and to be able to face people and not be judging them just from meeting them.

“If we stop looking at the skin and start looking at the hearts, that’s where we get the better judgment of people,” Saunders added. “One woman brought up that she’s not aware of the problem, and … she said, ‘I have a child that’s 9 and a 16-year-old.’ Well, those 16-year-old kids, your kids are aware of it, and they know what’s going on.”

Saunders said he was glad Haines had taken the steps to create the task force, and that the county was taking proactive steps to address the issues.

Haines said anti-racism steps had been a priority for the county for some time. Prior to the start of the semester, the district had welcomed local community leader Ron Scott Jr. to speak with the district’s service personnel and with students at Moundsville Middle School. In March, the district’s third LOOK community outreach seminar will feature professional wrestler George Murdoch as a speaker. Murdoch –who currently is known as Tyrus and formerly known as Brodus Clay in WWE — also is co-host of Fox News’ “Gutfeld!”

“That person is going to speak about overcoming childhood trauma, and part of his trauma, he struggled with being biracial, and will talk about some of that,” Haines said. “He also struggled with child abuse, neglect, and things like that, it’s (about) how he overcame that to be who he is.”