ADAMS TWP — Holding signs and wearing green ribbons to support victims of bullying in the district, more than 70 Mars community members packed the primary school’s cafeteria Tuesday, where they continued to voice concerns over bullying and discrimination in the district.

It was the second week in a row in which a meeting of the Mars School Board was dominated by such discussion, stemming from an incident last month in which “hateful rhetoric” led to a physical altercation at Mars High School.

The district initially responded to rumors about the incident with Wesley Shipley, superintendent, writing in a letter that the matter was under investigation with the assistance of local law enforcement.

Shipley’s letter did not identify a timeline for the incident, nor did it identify the students involved, citing confidentiality laws. Shipley cited district policies dealing with harassment and said such conduct would not be tolerated.

At a school board meeting last week, which drew more than 50 people, a dozen residents shared their own dealings with racism and concerns over the lack of action by the board to the incident, as well as the lack of emphasis on promoting diversity.

Shipley said the district is committed to investigating reports of racism, and is working to bring in speakers to address diversity issues, including implementing the Rachel’s Challenge anti-bullying program beginning next year. On Tuesday he said the district is also working to bring a diversity specialist in to work with students and staff at the high school next week.

Those gathered Tuesday again shared their experiences and questioned the board, asking why such behavior is tolerated. The speakers included young students as well as high schoolers and their parents.

Amber Rush, whose daughter Tianna read the board an anti-bullying book during the public comment period of the meeting, said the system at Mars is broken, with recent events showing there are larger issues at play.

She cited special education issues, a lack of classroom resources and little communication as examples of progress being halted. Rush said she has attended many board meetings, and she left feeling dissatisfied.

“I constantly left sadder than when I entered the meeting,” she said. “These students feel unheard, and that’s exactly how I feel at these board meetings.”

She asked the district to provide a room for a public forum on bullying and diversity to be held in June. The meeting would be run by students and members of the community, and Rush asked for members of the board and administration to attend and listen.

Shipley said he would work with Rush to make a room available.

The promise of a meeting, however, was not enough to quell the emotions of some who spoke Tuesday.

Janet Parham, who last week shared stories of her daughter being the subject of racial discrimination, said the district had worked in the past to create a diversity program in-house, using the feedback of all staff members and students to form the program.

The program, she said, was successful, and was an example of the community coming together to solve problems.

“Why can’t we do that instead of always outsourcing and consulting?” she said. “We know what we can do. We have been there and we were doing it.”

The current diversity training program is not working, according to student April Bonifate.

She said she has seen friends who have repeatedly been bullied and reported incidents, only to see nothing change. She said an in-house program should be used, and student input taken into consideration.

“The teachers and students know what’s going on more than you do,” she told the board.

She also asked board members to visit schools and see the issues firsthand.

“If we have to go, and you’re the people representing us, you should also have to come and see what it’s like in these schools, because it’s not working the way you think it’s working,” she said.

April’s father, Jeff Bonifate, said after he spoke at last week’s meeting, he watched as his daughters viewed the speech online. He said his daughter shed a tear and gave him a “fist bump” for speaking out on the issues.

“That’s all I needed to know,” he said before turning his attention to the board and administration. “But I’d ask every one of you: would your kids give you a fist bump right now?”

Bonifate said it is Shipley’s responsibility to find out where the disconnect is between reported incidents and a lack of action.

“You need to look back down ... and you have to figure out where this is breaking down,” he said.

Others in the audience voiced frustrations with the board, calling for members to be voted out. Others were more pointed with their words.

“I’ve been listening to this board for the last four-to-five years on important issues,” said resident Brian Nakel. “Quite honestly, I haven’t seen ... any progress. Therefore, I’d like to formally ask for the board’s resignation.”

Dayle Ferguson, board president, said the board and administration are committed to finding a solution.

“No one at this table up here thinks that bullying is OK,” she said, adding planning for programs and training has been in the works for quite some time. “We’re going to work hard with this. You have my word that we will.”