The Blair County Branch of the NAACP concluded its investigation and published its findings on the Spring Cove School District’s decision to remove “Lift Every Voice and Sing” from its middle school chorus concert in May.

According to the findings released via email, Facebook and posted on the Blair NAACP’s website, “the removal of ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ from a Spring Cove Middle School chorus concert has illuminated significant gaps in cultural sensitivity and inclusivity in our community.”

The report states that while the decision to remove the song was made with the intention of maintaining order and comfort for all students, “it had the effect of marginalizing minorities.”

The report also states that official responses after the incident failed to address the broader community’s concerns.

While it came from the Blair NAACP email address and was posted on the group’s Facebook page and website, it is unknown who within the organization wrote the news release, and messages seeking comment from Andrae Holsey, president of the Blair NAACP, were not returned.

The report lists several concerns over how Spring Cove School District leaders handled complaints over the song’s inclusion in the spring concert and suggests “that off-record discussions over the song occurred before May 6th.”

When asked about the findings, Superintendent Betsy Baker said there were no meetings between district administrators and local NAACP members.

Baker said when she heard about the Blair NAACP’s investigation into why the school cut the song the day before the concert, she reached out to Holsey.

Baker said she did briefly speak on the phone with Holsey about the issue, but was under the impression they would meet in person to discuss the incident more in depth.

“I invited him to meet with us and sent him several dates that would work for me and my team,” Baker said. “I never heard from him.”

Still, Baker is quoted in the report released Saturday.

In the press release, the Blair NAACP stated that when Baker was asked why the song was removed the day before the concert, she “told reporters and the NAACP that ‘students were concerned about potential divisiveness and controversy.'”

The release also states that Baker told Blair NAACP President Andrae Holsey, “when it was included in the public concert is when it became an issue.”

“Still, it remains unclear why concerns were only raised the day before the concert,” the release read. “Baker provided mixed explanations to the Branch, stating that ‘we had an administrative meeting on Monday, where 4 or 5 people instantly contacted a principal.'”

Baker said Tuesday that she believes Holsey misunderstood, as the meeting she referred to was a routine administrative team meeting the district holds one morning every month.

“The song was not on the agenda at the administrative meeting referenced,” Baker said.

Instead, Baker said it was after the May 6 meeting, when middle school principal Amy Miller went back to the middle school building in the afternoon, that Miller had four or five people approach her with concerns about the song. She added that when Holsey asked why administration “waited until the last minute” to pull the song, she said it was because they only learned about the concerns the afternoon before the concert.

The release from the local NAACP also states that Baker said “the Little League Field is where much of the conversation is happening.”

Baker said her reference to the Little League field was only meant to explain that it’s a place where community members like to hang out and talk. She was not a part of any discussions at the field, she said.

Holsey, she said, must have taken “bits and pieces” of their conversation from when she called him with her contact information.

“It sounds like we had a meeting, but we didn’t,” Baker said.

The local NAACP report lays out the historical and cultural context of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” often referred to as “The Black National Anthem,” and states that according to a Mirror article on the issue over the song being dropped from the concert, “the relevance of this history is not lost on members of the Spring Cove Community. … ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ can be found in more than 40 hymnals, ‘including most of the church hymnals in the Cove.'”

The report also explains the school district’s decision-making process, noting the district approved purchasing the song rights in the months prior to the concert.

It also states the issue with the song appeared to be linked to the Super Bowl.

The findings present community reactions to the song being cut, with unnamed district parents weighing in and objecting to the decision. In addition, the report points out that the hymn “Light of Grace” was included in the program, suggesting that the decision to remove “Lift Every Voice and Sing” was not based on religious content, but rather on perceived controversy specific to the song.

Under recommendations, the local NAACP invited district administrators “to meet with Branch officers and create a plan for broadening racial sensitivity and inclusivity. We are willing and able to assist the District in planning and executing representative programs to bridge any cultural gaps between students and/or staff.”

The release also urged the Department of Education Office of Civil Rights to “review this situation and the reporting of similar incidents,” invited the Heritage Department of the Pennsylvania State Police to “conduct a comprehensive review” of district policies and urged Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission Executive Director Chad Lassiter to “include the potential for race-related conflict in Spring Cove in his plan of action for responding to racial unrest in Central PA.”

The local NAACP branch also calls “for the implementation of inclusive policies, educational initiatives and state agency oversight.”

“Together, we can foster an environment where every student feels safe, fulfilled, represented, and empowered to succeed — in Spring Cove and beyond,” the report concludes.

Baker reiterated that she invited Holsey to meet with her and the administrative team at Spring Cove.

“We provided him with dates,” Baker said. “We’re happy to work with them and the other agencies involved. We have nothing to hide.”