MIDLOTHIAN (CBSDFW.COM) – Three students from the Midlothian Independent School District have been disciplined over an online video that shows them using derogatory and racist language.
The district notified its 14,000 parents through email after the video, which officials explained was made off-campus and after school hours, went viral.
In a short clip that was widely shared, one teen uses the n-word 25 times in just 10 seconds.
The clip appeared on the Twitter account for All Resistance News, which has 48,000 followers. In a message to CBS 11 News, the organization said that it had received the original nine-minute profanity-laced video, produced by the teens, from another student who feared for their safety.
A district spokesperson stated that administrators at Midlothian High School received a complaint about the video on Friday and immediately began investigating. On that same day, the principal sent an email to the parents of students who attend the school.
Midlothian ISD superintendent Lane Ledbetter wrote to parents Monday. “This video and social media posts have since gone viral,” he stated, calling the situation “heartbreaking at best” and warning that “any offensive, demeaning, and inappropriate language… by a student, teacher, or staff member is unacceptable, and they will face swift and severe consequences.”
The district said that, due to federal education privacy laws, it could not reveal how the students were being disciplined.
Anthony Grant is an African American father of two who only recently moved to Midlothian. He watched the video. “It’s very disturbing to me knowing that my kids may have to deal with this as well,” he said.
Grant told CBS 11 News that he chose to live in Midlothian partly because of the quality of the schools. While his experience so far has been a good one, he said, the viral video does give him pause. “Makes you second guess,” he said. “Did I make the right decision?”
Local mother Molly Carmack was also surprised to hear racial slurs being used. She considers Midlothian to be a welcoming community. She does wonder, though, why the district is involved. “It didn’t happen at school. I mean, just because he attends there, I don’t know how you can hold him accountable for that,” she said.
Ledbetter wrote to parents again on Wednesday, informing them of the school district’s ongoing efforts to promote inclusivity and tolerance. Since the fall, all of the district’s principals have undergone cultural proficiency training. Soon, Ledbetter said, it will be expanded to include all employees.
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