‘Very disturbing’ racist videos posted by students in NC school system, official says
A North Carolina schools superintendent said he was “both saddened and disappointed” after students posted “very disturbing” racist videos on social media.
In a Facebook post Monday, Superintendent Matthew Stover of the Catawba County Schools said he received multiple reports of “certain students” in the district posting the videos, which he also called inappropriate and insensitive.
“I want to make it absolutely clear that Catawba County Schools does not, and will not, tolerate our students engaging in hateful speech and racist behavior on our school campuses and at school events,” Stover said in his online message addressed to students, parents and community members.
Stover titled his message, “Racist Behavior Will Not Be Tolerated.”
One of the videos shows two boys reenacting the killing of George Floyd, a Black man, by Minneapolis police, the Hickory Daily Record reported. One boy kneels on the other’s neck, and both mockingly repeat Floyd’s “I can’t breathe” words, according to the newspaper, which said it received a copy of the video from a student at St. Stephens High School in Hickory.
Stover isn’t saying what the videos show or if any students have been identified and face discipline.
The superintendent urged parents to “diligently” monitor their children’s use of social media and to educate them on “the appropriate use of social media and the harmful impact of this type of inappropriate behavior.”
“Please educate them about engaging in online communications responsibly by identifying hateful or racist speech and actions, and not posting it, “liking,” “tagging,” forwarding, re-tweeting or sharing others’ posts,” Stover wrote.
If you or your children encounter hate speech and other racism online, immediately report it to the social media platform, he said.
When students return to school, Stover added, Catawba County Schools will offer more education programs on cultural and racial sensitivity.
“As adults and leaders in this community, we should do everything we can to eradicate hateful speech/actions and racism,” the superintendent said in his post.