On Tuesday night, as many Cornellians returned to campus, a group of students joined Ithaca residents and Ithaca College students at the Ithaca City School District’s Board of Education Meeting to speak up about the issues of racism facing the town.

Around 100 people attended the meeting, held at 7 p.m. at Ithaca High School’s Kulp Auditorium, to take advantage of the opportunity to speak out during the “Receiving and Hearing of Delegations” by the public that follows the opening of the Board’s meetings.

D.P. Dough and the Ithaca Police Department are at the center of controversy this week amid allegations of racial prejudice against members of the black student community.

Local residents and students gathered yesterday at the Ithaca City School District’s offices to rally against what they see as tolerance of racism by the district.

The most publicized accusation of racism came from Ithaca resident Amelia Kearney, whose daughter reported she was physically and emotionally abused by her classmates two years ago at the district’s DeWitt Middle School.