Reaction is continuing following a controversial student assembly at Holyoke High School on Friday.
Some walked out after a student performed a spoken-word poem about her Puerto Rican heritage and the struggles of being a minority in the U.S.
Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse released a statement on Facebook on Tuesday saying the piece was thought-provoking and came from a place of deep thought and feeling from the student.
He said both the student who wrote the poem and those who objected should have the right to express their beliefs, and that adults outside the school have an obligation to be role models and not direct hateful words or threatening language at the students.