Students at a school in Ohio have been punished in a ‘significant’ way after signs were posted above water fountains reading ‘blacks only’ and ‘whites only’.
The signs were posted above two drinking fountains in the high school in the Cincinnati area, leading to comparisons with the racist Jim Crow laws of the pre-Civil Rights Act USA.
A picture showing the two signs went viral online, much to the disgust of all reasonable observers, leading to complaints from parents and an investigation from the school district.
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One mother at the school called the act a ‘hate crime’, and – honestly – it’s hard to disagree.
The signs were posted above drinking stations at Colerain High School, and the students that were responsible for them have now been the subject of disciplinary action for their ‘tasteless and hurtful’ actions.
It's not clear what that action is.
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A statement from the Northwest Local School District read: “On May 5, 2022 our Northwest Local School District (NWLSD) Administration was made aware of an inappropriate and racist message that was displayed over Colerain High School’s (CHS) water fountains at the end of the school day.
“Upon being notified, District and school officials immediately began investigating. School officials also notified CHS parents by letter that day which condemned the behavior that was displayed.”
The statement continued: “Upon investigation of the matter, we have learned that the notes posted over the water fountains were posted for a matter of 30 seconds before being removed by the students.
“The students involved in the incident posted the signs, took photos and removed the notes before posting the photos online.
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“Those who participated in this tasteless and hurtful act have been issued significant disciplinary actions. Information regarding this incident was shared on the news today. We want to make sure our staff, students, families and community understands where we stand on racial intolerance, discrimination, racism and hatred.
“We take this matter very seriously."
“This type of behavior is not and will not be condoned or tolerated. The actions that were displayed do NOT reflect the values and the culture we’ve worked so hard to cultivate in all of our schools across the district.
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“NWLSD stands firm in creating a culture of inclusivity, respect, kindness and compassion for everyone.
“As a school community it’s our responsibility to uphold these values and we will not tolerate any action from anyone that compromises or disrupts that culture.”
The statement concluded: “As a District we remain committed to teaching love, inclusivity and compassion.”
Tom Wood