ALEDO (WBAP/KLIF)- A slave trade auction on social media set up by Aledo ISD students is under investigation.
The Aledo Independent School District said students at the Daniel Ninth Grade Campus cyberbullied and harassed other students based on their race.
“There is no room for racism or hatred in the Aledo ISD, period,” said Superintendent Dr. Susan Bohn. “Using inappropriate, offensive and racially charged language and conduct is completely unacceptable and is prohibited by district policy,” she said.
The district confirms it has spoken with all the students involved, as well as their parents but did not specify what discipline the students received.
Read the full statement here:
“There is no room for racism or hatred in the Aledo ISD, period. Using inappropriate, offensive and racially charged language and conduct is completely unacceptable and is prohibited by district policy. More than two weeks ago, the district learned of an incident that involved students from the Daniel Ninth Grade Campus bullying and harassing other students based on their race and launched an immediate and thorough investigation that involved law enforcement. We made a formal determination that racial harassment and cyber bullying had occurred and assigned disciplinary consequences in accordance with our policy and the Student Code of Conduct. This incident has caused tremendous pain for the victims, their families, and other students of color and their families, and for that we are deeply saddened. After being notified of the incident, the Aledo ISD immediately engaged in conversations and communication with students and the student group that was involved, as well as their parents, and made it clear that statements and conduct that targets a student because of his or her race is not only prohibited but also has a profound impact on the victims. We also shared this message with staff and parents at the campus.The Aledo ISD will continue to take action to ensure students, staff and parents in our community understand the negative impact of racism and other forms of harassment on victims as well as the consequences of these actions at school through district-led educational opportunities.
We live in a community that comes together in support of its children and families, especially in difficult times, and we want our students of color to understand that they are loved and supported in Aledo ISD. We ask that our parents and community continue to have important conversations with their children at home about racism and other forms of harassment as we all work together as a community to support our Bearcats.”
Parker County NAACP President Eddie Burnett says the district has called it bullying but he says this is far beyond that.
“It crosses into the area of hate speech, it’s something learned from the environment. As much as we say this doesn’t represent us, this does represent us until we change it,” said Burnett.
Burnett plans to speak at the school board meeting April 19th and hopes to share his thoughts and come up with a common goal to work together.
He says he hopes the district will take action strong enough to send a message and wants diversity to be a major item in their curriculum.