Social media threats target Black students at 2 Wake high schools. ‘It makes me ill.’
Racist and violent social media threats have targeted Black students at two Wake County high schools — leading to extra police being at East Wake High.
In an online message Tuesday to parents, East Wake High Principal Stacey Alston said several students had reported to teachers “a social media post from an anonymous account that implies a threat and used racist language.” Alston said that extra security would be at the school, located in Wendell, through Wednesday out of an abundance of caution.
The writer of the threat, which was posted on Snapchat, used the N-word twice and ended the threat with, “we will discuss how to get rid of all blacks at east wake,” WRAL reported.
Alston told parents that an investigation is underway. He urged students and parents to report any suspicious activity to school administration or to an anonymous tip line, 919-856-1911.
“We take school threats of any kind very seriously,” Alston said. “WCPSS Security and law enforcement agencies investigate all threats and evaluate their validity. We also work with law enforcement and the courts to prosecute anyone, adult or student, responsible for making a threat or perpetrating a hoax to the fullest extent possible under the law.”
‘Racist horrific language is unacceptable’
Black students at another eastern Wake high school, Knightdale High, were also recently targeted.
An Instagram post showed four Black basketball players from Knightdale High in the target of a sniper’s cross hairs, and one player hanging from a noose, WRAL reported. The post led to Friday’s basketball game between Knightdale High and Millbrook High being canceled.
The threats come during Black History Month.
Both East Wake and Knightdale high schools are in school board member Heather Scott’s district. On Tuesday, she condemned those threatening posts as well as the “horrific racist comments” made on social media about the Asian ancestry of Assistant Superintendent Paul Koh for having recommended masking children as young as age 2.
“The racist horrific language is unacceptable and overall it’s just unacceptable to use social media in that way,” Scott said at Tuesday’s board meeting. “My gosh people, because our kids are saying that and at a time where kids are very stressed to go to school because of school shooting, because of violence, it makes me ill.”
This story was originally published February 16, 2022 at 9:51 AM.
