Nassau County parents meet to discuss controversial viral video, racism at Yulee High School

3 years ago 216

Meeting follows suspension of students progressive successful an on-campus combat that stemmed from racist comments successful video clip

Video appearing to amusement 2 young men utilizing radical slurs infuriates parents, students astatine Yulee High School.

FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. – A radical of parents gathered successful Fernandina Beach Wednesday nighttime to sermon a caller video that was wide circulated connected societal media past week and led to the suspension of aggregate students.

“The intent of this gathering is to marque definite we are each moving arsenic one, aligned connected the goal, found an effectual mode to communicate, and astir importantly, the opening steps of affirmative guardant progress,” a Facebook station from activistic and genitor Melissa Ricks.

The video showed 2 Yulee High School students laughing and utilizing radical slurs portion 1 of them donned a achromatic hood.

According to Nassau County School District adjunct superintendent Mark Durham, the video was filmed off-campus implicit the summertime and had been precocious forwarded to a radical of Black students astatine the precocious school.

The group, which included Ricks’ son, confronted the 2 teens seen successful the video -- and that led to what the territory described arsenic a “physical altercation.”

The group of Black students was suspended for 5 days, according to Ricks. The students who sent the video were besides disciplined, but the 2 students featured successful the clip were not punished, Durham confirmed to News4Jax.

Parents accidental the mode schoolhouse administrators handled the concern surrounding the arguable video unfairly. They accidental the territory was inconsistent, unfair and damaging.

Emily Joinville, an alumni of the schoolhouse and the girl of Yulee High’s principal, attending the gathering virtually, defending her father’s handling of the concern -- saying his hands were tied.

On Friday, aft the video was reported by News4Jax, the district’s spokesperson released a statement, condemning the video’s content.

“Nassau County School District and Yulee High School privation to marque it wide that acts of favoritism based connected contention volition not beryllium tolerated connected our campuses oregon toward our students. Individuals committing specified acts volition beryllium taxable to disciplinary consequences. We admit that galore students were negatively affected by the contented of this video and the schoolhouse is prepared to enactment their needs.”

Mark Durham, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction

According to the Baptist Ministers Conference of Duval and adjacent counties, 1 of the group’s pastors traveled to Nassau County Monday to conscionable with representatives of the schoolhouse medication to sermon the video and the clime that led to its creation.