'We Have A Problem In Parker County,' Minority Students Allegedly 'Slave Traded' Online By Classmates
PARKER COUNTY (CBSDFW.COM) - A group of students in Aledo ISD are facing disciplinary action after allegedly creating an online "slave auction" featuring black classmates.
The district said it learned of an incident with students from the Daniel Ninth Grade Campus involving racial harassment and cyberbullying several weeks ago. Sources tell CBS 11 News that the students pretended to sell their black classmates for a $1 to $100.
"My thought was, 'Here we go having to deal with this again'," said Eddie Burnett, president of the Parker County NAACP.
Burnett said he knows what the victims are going through.
"It makes you feel a sense of powerlessness and worthlessness," he said.
Aledo ISD said it launched an immediate and thorough investigation involving the district's police department. The case is still pending, but the students did receive disciplinary consequences. The district also said, "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."
"I think kids make mistakes, and I think sometimes those mistakes get highlights, and that's how we learn," said Aledo resident Christina Donnelly, whose children attended Aledo High School. She said she hopes this can be a teachable moment.
"I think that the school can come up some long-lasting and far-reaching solutions that will ensure this won't happen again," she said.
The district said it is focused on just that. Burnett said education and conversation are critical, especially because he said this isn't the first time Aledo students have been bullied for their race.
"If people are having a mock slave auction, then they have received information that this is okay," he said. "We have a problem in Parker County. It's obvious."