Catholic School Responds To ‘Shocking’ Photo Of Student In ‘Blackface Mask’ Captioned With N-Word
A Catholic school in Virginia is investigating an incident in which a student posted a photo wearing Blackface with the N-word as the caption.
According to Sister Cecilia Dwyer, the Head of School at Saint Gertrude High, the student will be disciplined following the investigation of the “offensive” and racist Snapchat shared on social media, CBS 6 reports.
The person in the photo is wearing the uniform of the private all-girls Catholic school and a mask of a CPR manikin with the N-word captioned below, CBS 6 reports.
"To have something this disrespectful happen is shocking. I know I was shocked when I saw it," Dwyer explained to CBS 6. "We are trying to get to the bottom of how it happened and how it evolved."
CBS 6 reports that after the racist photo was posted on social media, Richmond Police officers were at the school responding to a threat to a student.
Dwyer told CBS 6, "It was a threat of violence to the student itself. We did send it to the police and they’re trying to trace it. They offered us extra protection."
In an email to parents and students, CBS 6 reports that Sister Dwyer wrote, “This morning we became aware of some deeply troubling and racially insensitive imagery involving current students making its way through our community via social media. Such offensive and inappropriate content is a clear violation not only of our school policies, but also the principles and values on which our school was founded. I want to emphasize as strongly as possible that this type of behavior will not be tolerated at Saint Gertrude.”
Dwyer added, CBS 6 reports, “I want to assure you we are looking into this matter to determine its source and address the situation appropriately, in accordance with our code of conduct, our policies, and our values. I ask that all parents discuss with their children the critical importance of respecting others, the dangers related to posting on social media, and the far-reaching consequences for both the perpetrator and those targeted by damaging racial incidents.”
