EAST BRIDGEWATER, Mass. — A recent video obtained by Boston 25 News shows several East Bridgewater High School students in blackface and yelling offensive racial slurs.
While Boston 25 News will refrain from further disseminating the video online, it is now being used by the school district to teach students an important lesson.
The 10-second video, which was posted online last Thursday by a student, shows six teens inside a home. Some of them are in blackface and yelling hate speech.
"Disgusting," said Belle Scott, an East Bridgewater student. "I saw it on social media."
After multiple students shared the video, Boston 25 News reporter Wale Aliyu contacted the school. The superintendent's secretary said they had not heard about the video at all.
Despite multiple requests to speak with the superintendent on camera, the school refused. The school district has, however, put out a statement to parents which says, in part: "The District does not condone the statements or actions of the individuals portrayed in that video."
"We had an assembly today with both of our principles talking about it, letting people know that they’re going to handle it," said Scott.
While the school would not disclose to Boston 25 News exactly how they were handling the situation, we spoke to a couple of the students who were involved in the incident.
"I thought it was funny until I knew what it meant, then I was like, 'I should not have done that,'" said one student.
Some students preferred to stay anonymous, saying they are afraid to go back to school after receiving death threats.
"I get it every five minutes," said one student. "That’s the worst thing I’ve ever done in my whole life."
Students said they have a meeting with the school Tuesday morning to find out what happens next.
"I feel bad the students are being threatened, but they should’ve known better," said Leanne Pacheco, a parent.
"I just think everyone should learn about what you put on social media but that is just something that should not be said," said Scott. "No matter what. It’s not where they should be used as a joke, that’s what it seemed it was coming off of as but it’s not O.K."
East Bridgewater Police said they are not investigating the issue, but are rather leaving it up to the school to handle the punishment, saying it is not a police matter because only words were said and there were no overt acts of violence, which would've made this a hate crime.
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