An Atlanta, Georgia, high school was forced to suspend a group of teen boys after they were caught on video dressing up in white hoods and pretending to lynch an Ethiopian student, CBS46 reported.
An unknown number of students at Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School was suspended indefinitely after a video of the incident began to circulate among other students and parents.
In the video, a group of boys can be seen in a bathroom with paper towels wrapped around their faces to look like members of the Ku Klux Klan. One of the boys, who is Ethiopian, has toilet paper wrapped around his neck, mimicking a lynching. It's unclear if the student was a willing participant or if he was forced.
"Very shocking and disheartening to know that somebody I sit next to in class, somebody I present my project to, who I talk to on a daily basis at lunch could you feel this way towards me," student Kenidee Barkley told CBS46.
According to The Philadelphia Tribune, another Black student walked in on the situation and began to take a video on his smartphone, sharing it with his parents when he went home that night. School officials were quickly notified of the video and what happened.
The school, which has a population of 56% Latino, 40% Black, 2% Asian and 2% Caucasian students, has apologized for the incident and has tried to fix the situation by holding a schoolwide assembly.
The school's president, Bill Garrett, released a statement to CBS46 condemning the incident, calling it "unfortunate and reprehensible."
"This type of behavior will not be tolerated. The students are on indefinite suspension as we do a comprehensive investigation of the situation and determine an appropriate course of action. While we have done cultural sensitivity training with our students, faculty, and staff, clearly we need to do more," Garrett said.
"We convened the entire student body the day after the incident, and one of our staff delivered a powerful message to our students. We are working closely with the National Center for Civil and Human Rights to develop a program appropriate for our community. In addition, Andrew Young will be speaking soon to our community," Garrett added.
The principal said students at the school are passionate about working together to bring along change within the walls of the school.
"One of our students perhaps said it best: 'This is the biggest opportunity to capitalize on restructuring the school community. Never before has the entire student body been so passionate and united on an issue. It would be a waste to not use this to bring us together. Rather than talk about how we’re divided, I want to do something about it,'" Garrett said.
In addition to other efforts, former Atlanta mayor Andrew Young is planning to speak with students about the incident, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
