Colorado parents demand action after a racist video circulated around West Middle School in Greenwood Village
Parents are demanding action after a racist video circulated around West Middle School in Greenwood Village. The Rocky Mountain NAACP says it's a threat to students and is calling on Cherry Creek School District to do more.
On Sept. 25, several students reportedly "snickered" at the video during a bus ride to school. The video shows a West Middle School student spewing hate speech for 26 seconds. The student says: "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. They just stink up the room."
A parent of a student on the bus spoke with CBS News Colorado and asked to not have their identity revealed, as they've already been targeted for speaking out.
"One of the students laughing sent the video to my child. It was a racist manifesto," said the parent. "My initial reaction when I saw the video was if I'm going to hear about a mass shooting. It seemed like a preamble to someone that would mass shoot up a school."
CCSD says they were made aware of a racist video in September.
In a statement to CBS Colorado, Cherry Creek School District writes: "The language in the video is hate-filled and we took swift action to address this unacceptable behavior. While this incident occurred off campus, we realized the potential impact this video would have on the student community. Administration and law enforcement acted immediately to investigate the situation. Students found to be responsible faced significant discipline and their parents were responsive to the severity of the situation. Due to the privacy rights of students, we cannot discuss specifics of discipline."
Parents told CBS Colorado the student was suspended. They fear that punishment sends the wrong message.
"These kids don't understand the gravity because he pretty much just got a two-week vacation," said the parent.
Many feel the schoolwide message sent following the video's discovery was vague. In a September email to families, the school wrote in part: "In recent days, we have dealt with some incidents of racist speech at our school and in our community."
After learning what was said in the video, parents say the district could have been more transparent about its message.
"They weren't equipping the parents to really keep their kids safe and to have a real conversation," said the parent. "If you have a bomb threat, you get more information."
Families say parents must be held accountable and more action must be taken.
Rocky Mountain NAACP has called for local and federal investigations into the incident. In a statement, the organization says:
"In a world where school shootings are the norm, this matter is serious and needs to be addressed immediately to prevent another mass school shooting like Columbine and many across the nation."
Rocky Mountain NAACP President Portia Prescott heard from families who are worried that words may escalate.
"The parents who have come to me are wondering if there are guns in the home," said Prescott. "It's a public safety issue."
The Cherry Creek School District says it does not tolerate hate of any kind in its schools and realizes the trauma and pain these situations cause students and their families. CCSD says it will continue to work with community organizations to combat hate and ensure all students feel safe and supported in schools.
