GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. — The Rocky Mountain NAACP and parents are demanding safety, accountability and more transparency from the Cherry Creek School District after a racist video was circulated at West Middle School.
The district said it was made aware of the video in September. Officials said the video was created by a student outside of school and shared in a group text.
In the video, a student can be heard saying, "I hate Black n******. Black n****** are cotton pickers. They should not be alive right now. I hate their skin color. I hate how they talk."
According to the district, the students involved with the video faced "significant discipline." Parents told Denver7 the student seen in the video still attends West MS.
The Rocky Mountain chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) called for further action from the school district during a news conference in front of the school Wednesday.
"How do we know there's not a firearm in that house so other parents can let their children come to school and feel safe?" said RMNAACP President Portia Prescott.
Parents also expressed concern regarding the district's communication with parents. Parents said Cherry Creek Schools sent a letter home in September but did not convey the severity of the situation.
The district's letter stated in part, "In recent days, we have dealt with some incidents of racist speech at our school and in our community.” The letter did not address that the student said "[Black people] should not be alive right now."
"It is a community and a safety issue. We want to make sure that we keep that on the forefront," said Dr. Vern L. Howard, chairman of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Colorado Holiday Commission.
"It's the racist manifesto," said a parent who asked to remain anonymous due to fears of retaliation. "My initial reaction when I saw the video was, is the next step I'm going to hear about a mass shooting? Because it seemed like a preamble to someone that would mass shoot up a school."
The parent believes the school is taking the video too lightly.
"That's not hate speech. That's hate speech plus death threat," they said.
The parent said the video and its aftermath are just a fraction of the racism that some West MS students endure. According to the parent, students sell laminated "N-word passes" that other students can use as an excuse to call someone the racial slur.
"[Students are] called the N-word. And then when the kid looks in shock, the person whips out the pass," said the parent.
The parent said the environment at the school sends the wrong message.
"I know the message it's sending to my child is that you're not important, is that you're less than. And middle school is when you develop your identity," they said.
