CHARLOTTE — There are new concerns after social media threats targeted local high school students.
The principal at Ardrey Kell High School in south Charlotte had strong words for the person at the center of what she called a threat targeting Black students.
[ Student disciplined after posing in racially charged photos ]
Earlier this week, social media video showed a student engaged in hate speech and vulgar threats.
Principal Jamie Brooks sent parents a message Friday morning saying, “One of your peers thought that it would be funny to create a fake IG page, pretending to be another student, enticing people to the mall area at 7 a.m.”
Brooks explained, “Due to the nature of this post and the fact that this student invited African American students to follow the page, I took it as a potential threat and contacted (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools) and law enforcement.”
Mary-Frances Winters runs a diversity, equity, and inclusion consultancy.
You can’t say equity,” she said. “You can’t say racism, and so it’s emboldened people to come out and show whoever they are, students, children. They learn it from someplace.”
Winters is a consultant for CMS.
“To help them understand their biases, help them understand culturally responsive teaching,” Winters said.
She also trains school staff on the re-traumatization students of color can often feel in the midst of a racially intimidating environment at school.
“How does that impact their ability to do their schoolwork? How does that impact their ability to feel safe coming to school?” Winters said.
Brooks said anything that implies a threat or causes African American students to feel fear, disrespect, or humiliation won’t be tolerated.
“There is a fine line between your First Amendment rights and my job of maintaining a safe school environment for all students,” the principal said.
Brooks promised that there will be harsh consequences, including infractions on permanent records and contacting law enforcement about possible hate crimes.
The district sent a letter to parents Thursday night encouraging students to report threats to a trusted adult.
VIDEO: Player carries ‘Blue Lives Matter’ flag onto Ardrey Kell HS field
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