Story at a glance:
- The white teens communicated through Snapchat.
- Black students were “auctioned off” between $1 and $100.
- The school and local authorities got involved.
A group of white students at Daniel Ninth Grade Campus in Parker County, Texas, cyberbullied their Black classmates, and now law enforcement and their school are applying disciplinary action.
Originally reported by The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the fictitious auction took place on Snapchat. A screenshot shows that the young men engaged in hate speech, with one of the students having a racial slur for a username. One of the teens wrote that he would place $1 on a Black student, another said he would pay $100.
The authorities were called and parents were sent emails.
The situation was highlighted by Parker County Progressives activist and leader Tony Crawford who said, it is “another in a long line of incidents that are swept under the rug.”
“Can you imagine what it’s like for somebody to put a price on your head?” he said in regards to the students who were victims of the cyberbullying. “I cannot imagine the embarrassment and hurt that people you might be friends with are having that conversation.”
The situation also caught the attention of Parker County NAACP President Eddie Burnett, and he is slated to talk about it at the Aledo school board meeting on April 19, The Star-Telegram reported.
“There is no room for racism or hatred in the Aledo ISD, period,” Superintendent Susan Bohn said in a statement. “Using inappropriate, offensive and racially charged language and conduct is completely unacceptable and is prohibited by district policy.”
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“This incident has caused tremendous pain for the victims, their families, and other students of color and their families,” Bohn wrote, “and for that, we are deeply saddened.”
On April 5, Principal Carolyn Ansley sent a letter to parents stating “an incident of cyberbullying and harassment” sparked a discussion about how inappropriate and hurtful language can affect others.
According to theGrio, Parker County is located about 30 miles west of Fort Worth.
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