Minooka HS Student Threatened With Lynching: Reports

MINOOKA, IL — In May, Minooka High School Board member Lori Lakota resigned amid allegations she made comments indicating she not want her children taught by an African-American teacher. Now, the high school is facing another controversy involving an allegation of racism after one student told another he was going to lynch him if he took a cookie, according to several news reports.

Tesaxton Washington told WGN Channel 9 that her son is a Minooka High School senior, and another student recently told him, "If you touch my cookie, I will lynch you," WGN reported. Washington told ABC 7 that her son is multiracial and the student who made the comment is white. That student has also called her son the n-word in the past, she added.

The student who made the comment was disciplined by high school staff, WJOL reported.

Last week, administrators for Minooka High School District 111, which has nearly 2,800 students, posted a vague statement about the incident on their Facebook page.

The latest allegation of racism at Minooka High School drew a flood of comments on the public school district's Facebook page.

Here's a sampling of what people wrote:

• Your school is fostering a hostile learning environment because of your school’s sports mascot and team name (“Indians”).Your school’s mascot perpetuates harmful, racist stereotypes towards Native Americans. No wonder you have a student making a “racially charged statement.”
• Hahah ‘great’ memories from mchs. friends and i started a black student association club our junior year 2017-2019(rip) and the administration, students, and parents fought us every step of the way. they didn’t want the club, and the moment we graduated was the moment the club practically got disassembled.
• I am ashamed to be an alumni from this horrid school.
• Yes Minooka high school does promote racism daily with their mascot their stereotypical pictures emblems and logos. They appropriate native culture and traditions daily for white entertainment and ignore how natives feel. If you support this then I guess you would support Minooka high school changing their mascot to the blacks and dressing a white kid up in blackface right?
• Surprised? A school with a “built in” discrimination policy in the form of a racial sports mascot has taught students that it is just fine to stereotype another race & permitted the humiliation & shaming of every Native child in their sports league for years. So don’t act shocked.
• Wow 2 racist incidents and a racist and offensive Native mascot in one year!
  Minooka high school wins most racist school and town in Illinois for 2019. Says a lot for Grundy County. Minooka high school should be so proud of how well their diversity group is doing and the strides it has made for the whole community. This says a lot about the school board and the psychologist at Minooka high school.

Last spring, well-liked Minooka High School Principal Ronald Kiesewetter agreed to a buyout worth up to $167,904. Hundreds of students flooded a school board meeting suggesting Kiesewetter's ouster and removal as principal resulted from his disapproval of alleged racist comments made to him by recently re-elected school board member Lori Lakota.

Last May, Minooka officials posted the following statement on their website:

"There have been rumors and allegations that board member Lori Lakota stated in a board meeting that she would not want her child to be taught by a black teacher," the District announced. "Those board members present at the meeting in question would like to reiterate that this statement was never made.

"Nevertheless, for reasons of her own, Mrs. Lakota has submitted her resignation to the board of education ... We wish Mrs. Lakota well in her future endeavors."