A Huntley, Illinois, high school student will be disciplined for sharing and posting a pamphlet at school and on social media that repeatedly used racist language to characterize Black people as subhuman.
Huntley High School student Dubem Anikamadu and a group of Black students found and informed school administration about the pamphlet Friday, Feb. 3. In an interview with local news outlet ABC 7 Chicago, Dubem said that the pamphlets were placed on several lockers around the school. As of last Friday, images of the document began to appear online, reported ABC 7.
“I was shocked,” Dubem says. “I … really did not think someone would have the confidence to bring that type of thing to our school.”
The pamphlet reportedly was downloaded somewhere from the Internet. In it, the n-word was written throughout the document and used in every other sentence. “It was so nonchalant, just like a smiley face sticker on the locker,” student Cameron Viera tells reporters.
As soon as administrators were made aware of the racist material, they acted quickly. An unnamed male was identified as the culprit and now faces disciplinary action.
Huntley High Principal Scott Rowe sent a letter home Friday to parents addressing the incident. “These types of messages cause real pain and harm,” the letter read. “They are unacceptable here. It is a reminder to us that we must not forget our past and that we must continue to work every day to fight the history of racism that continues to stain our society.”
The school has not revealed if the unnamed culprit will be suspended or expelled, according to ABC 7.
“It’s 2017,” Anikamadu says. “I’m hurt that people are still using these types of words, trying to dehumanize us and all those things.”
