CNN
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At least two students at a Philadelphia high school face disciplinary action after racist videos recorded outside the school were posted on social media.
Two of the girls in the video that began circulating online Tuesday attend St. Hubert Catholic Girls’ High School, according to Kenneth A. Gavin, chief communications officer for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The third girl in the video is not a student there, he said.
“While I will not disclose the definitive details of individual disciplinary actions, the level of conduct calls for a minimum of suspension and counseling and a maximum of expulsion,” Gavin told CNN.
In a statement released Wednesday, Franklin Town Charter High School said the former student who participated in the video or any other student exhibiting such conduct “has no place in our school.”
“The content of this video does not reflect the values or culture of the Townes family. the school said on it’s websiteIt is unknown if the former student was in school at the time the video was recorded.
A black parent whose daughter attends a Catholic school told CNN that the video was sent directly to his daughter and niece, as well as other black students.
When asked if the video was sent to black students at school first, Gavin told CNN: My understanding is that it was posted and shared on social media. ”
St Hubert Catholic High School Serves about 500 students About 1,300 students from grades 9 to 12 participated Franklintown Charter High School, Each data shows. Data show that both schools are predominantly white.
The video started going viral on social media a week before Black History Month.
In the video, a girl is seen using black spray paint to color another girl’s face, saying, “You’re a black girl! You know your roots! It’s February!” You’re just a slave… after this, she’s drying my laundry.”
You can hear people in the video laughing when this happens. One is seen filming the incident on her phone, a girl with her face painted black says, “I’m black and I’m proud.”
A statement provided to CNN by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia on Wednesday said the video was filmed outside and after school.
“We recognize and understand that the actions of these students have reopened the wounds of society in a very painful way. has been reprimanded,” the archdiocese said.
The archdiocese added that the school and the Catholic Education Department are investigating the incident. “If that process determines the involvement of other students, they will also face disciplinary action,” the statement said.
video taken by CNN affiliate KYW showed parents and activists protesting outside St. Hubert’s Catholic Girls’ High School on Wednesday, holding placards reading “No More Racism” and “Hate Hurts”. .
Katherine Hicks, president of the NAACP’s Philadelphia chapter, expressed her strong disappointment in a video in a statement Wednesday and called on the school to “ensure that action is taken immediately.”
“It is with great regret that we have to deal with this, especially during Black History Month, which celebrates the achievements and rich history of black people,” the statement said.
“A video showing a white schoolgirl in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia nefariously spray-painting a young woman’s face black is totally unacceptable,” the statement continued. To say the act was done as a joke is “not only appalling, it shows the ongoing cycle of racism we are constantly fighting”.
among them The Archdiocese said in a statement: Unacceptable in any situation and at any time. Any use of racism is contrary to our values of treating all people with charity, dignity and respect. ”
The archdiocese noted that the student’s conduct violated the code of conduct and technology use policies that apply to students both inside and outside the school.
General threats were made against the school community on Tuesday afternoon after the video was leaked on social media, according to the statement.
The threat has been reported to law enforcement, and there will be no extracurricular activities at the school for the rest of the week, according to a statement.
