A school system in Alabama reportedly disciplined some students across the district who were part of a Snapchat group in which several disturbing and racist messages were shared.
Oneonta City Schools officials said that three students reported a message shared in the group that officials called “offensive and divisive.”
Some of the messages even included plans to dress up in Ku Klux Klan costumes for a homecoming event at Oneonta High School.
Other messages included in the chat are below:
“Pitchforks and cotton plants and signs that say negro bathroom this way”
“Whites only but if we were all gorilla, that would be funny as”
“Wait but hear me out. Half gorillas, half kkk”
“Team bonding?”
“I have a clan meet on hoco so dk if I’ll be at the game. I’ll get everybody costumes while I’m there.”
“Lets bring candles and nooses to school while wearing it. Hang the blacks.”
District officials posted a statement about the Snapchat group and reported that “immediate disciplinary action” was taken against those involved. However, it’s unclear how the students who were part of the group were penalized.
AL.com reported that at least five students were part of the group. According to The Daily Beast, each of those students is a player on the OHS baseball team. An OHS alumnus told the outlet the messages reflect a schoolwide culture that is nothing new.
“This type of activity isn’t anything new [at Oneonta],” Landon Bothwell said. Bothwell was the one who received the messages from his brother Da’Marion, who is a current student at Oneonta. Bothwell said he posted them on Facebook to “let everyone know what that school is really about.”
