Greenwood Village, Colo. — Parents and the Rocky Mountain chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) are demanding a more transparent disciplinary policy from the Cherry Creek School District after a second racist video involving students was circulated.
The district said it was made aware of a video involving Campus Middle School students at the end of November.
In the video, two girls repeatedly blurt out variations of the N-word. One student can be heard saying, “I’m not racist everyone, I just like n******.”
The video was created off school grounds, according to the district. The students in the video were disciplined, but a district spokesperson could not say to what extent.
“If I am a Black child in the classroom, knowing that my peers are laughing or sharing this video… what message does that send?” said Cherry Creek School District parent Unsuk Zucker.
It's the second racist video involving Cherry Creek School District students to circulate this school year. The Rocky Mountain NAACP held a press conference on Nov. 15 after a racist video was circulated at West Middle School.
The district said it was made aware of the West MS 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.
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Parents, NAACP demand action after racist video circulated at West Middle School
Parents are calling for a clear code of conduct that outlines what is acceptable and not-acceptable behavior.
“What we're trying to say within our district is we need to name it. We need to call it out. And we need to make sure that the policies are clear and that we do not normalize this behavior,” said Campus Middle School parent Reema Wahdan.
Rocky Mountain NAACP President Portia Prescott agrees. She said the video was brought to her by a concerned Black mother whose child had received the video.
“There needs to be a transparent form of discipline that isn’t private, that parents understand, that students understand. If you go viral with this type of language and you attend a public school in the state of Colorado, you will be expelled,” said Prescott.
The Rocky Mountain NAACP is asking the students in the video and their parents to come forward, apologize and volunteer with the group.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Cherry Creek School District said students who engage in such behavior will face consequences.
“The Cherry Creek School District does not tolerate racism or hate of any kind. Students who engage in this kind of behavior will face consequences. These can range from restorative practices up to suspension and/or expulsion from school. Words matter, and derogatory or hateful language can often bring significant trauma. This type of vile speech and behavior is becoming prevalent in our society and often crosses over into school environments. There must be a community effort to ensure our kids understand that this behavior is never acceptable.”
