Principal Responds After N-Word Spray-Painted on Gym Wall at Colorado High School

The principal of a Colorado high school said he’s working to get to the bottom of who spray-painted a racial slur on the gym wall over the weekend.

The racist graffiti, discovered on Monday at Mountain Vista High School, is a combination of the N-word and igloo, according to FOX Denver. Black football coaches at the predominately white high school said they believe the racist invective was aimed at them.

Mountain Vista High School

The racist graffiti was found scrawled on a gym wall at Mountain Vista High School on Monday. (FOX Denver / video screenshot)

“I thought it was racist,” said freshman football coach Karl Coleman. “All the Black coaches there thought it was racist.”

In a letter sent to football parents Thursday, principal Michael Weaver said steps were taken to immediately cover the graffiti after it was discovered. He called the act “intolerable” and said investigators have been working to identify the culprit behind the “property damage and vandalism.”

FOX Denver reported that the school initially didn’t notify the community about the graffiti, but word soon spread. One parent, who asked to remain unnamed, said they felt the school could’ve handled the situation much better.

“This was a teachable moment for our entire school and they initially tried to brush it under the rug,” the parent said. “I hope they do better next time.”

Scott Levin, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, expressed a similar sentiment,  saying, “we need to make sure that students and the community understand that words do matter” and support the people those words were meant to hurt.

Weaver said the graffiti was hurtful for everyone involved.

So far, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office says no one has been charged in the case. The school district said there are no surveillance cameras focusing on the wall, however, others are being checked to see if they captured the person responsible.

Watch more in the clip below.

Back to top