A Texas student was expelled after posting a racist video on social media in which he superimposed the face of a Black teen from a rival high school basketball team onto a character from a popular 1970s show about slavery.
Who discovered the edited social media video?
Divona Phillips, the mother of 16-year-old Mason Williams, a third-year varsity basketball player for Burleson Centennial High School, first discovered the video on Instagram, according to WFAA.
She said Williams’ face was superimposed onto Kunta Kinte, a character in the 1970s television miniseries Roots who is kidnapped from Gambia and forced into slavery in the United States.
“He was like, ‘Mom, don’t cry. Don’t cry,'” Phillips said, stating that she was emotional while showing her son the video, per WFAA. “But it really hurt my feelings to see him portrayed as a slave.”
Phillips on her son: ‘He didn’t deserve this’
Phillips said she couldn’t understand why someone would target her son, whom she described as a person who simply enjoys playing basketball.
“This was hateful. My son doesn’t really bother anybody — he just loves basketball. And he didn’t deserve this,” Phillips said.
She also praised Williams for handling the situation with composure.
Details on where the video was posted, who shared it and what districts are saying
The video reportedly surfaced around the time of a playoff game between Burleson Centennial High School and Birdville High School, tracing back to a social media account called “Birdville Barstool,” which has no affiliation with the school, WFAA reported.
On Monday, Birdville ISD administrators launched a swift probe into the incident and identified the student responsible for posting the video. A 16-year-old (who remains unnamed) had been attending Birdville High School on an open enrollment application. The student’s application was revoked by the district, and they are no longer attending the school.
District officials released a statement, condemning the students’ actions, but stating they didn’t believe it was racially motivated, according to WFAA. They also shared that the student was not a member of the basketball team.
“Birdville ISD is disappointed and outraged by the video. We deeply regret that the actions of one young, independent individual have caused harm to two school communities and we condemn such behavior. Birdville ISD is embarrassed and appalled that such content would be tied to our community. This video does not reflect the standards, values, character or expectations we have for those who are attempting to associate with Birdville ISD in any capacity,” the statement reads.
The district also reported the incident to local law enforcement. Officials said they have contacted Burleson ISD and are in full cooperation with authorities on applicable disciplinary actions under state law, per WFAA.
“Saturday morning, Burleson ISD administration was made aware of a racially insensitive video about one of our student athletes. The content of this video was offensive, and Burleson ISD strongly condemns it. We are proud of the way our student has handled this situation with grace and class. We are grateful to Birdville ISD for taking this seriously and acting swiftly,” Burleson ISD said in a statement obtained by WFAA.
Will Williams receive an apology?
The video has since been taken down from the “Birdville Barstool” account.
Meanwhile, Phillips said she was pleased that district officials reached out to her, assuring that her son would receive a formal apology.
“They have been very proactive today to me, reaching out, responding to emails, and they want to make an apology to my son which I appreciate,” she said, noting that she wants more people to be aware of what kids are doing on their phones.