Racist Instagram Post: Crete-Monee Student Got 'Talking To' From Cops After KKK Message

CRETE, IL — A Crete-Monee High School student who posted a racist Instagram message a day before graduation got a "stern talking to that lasted for about 5 hours," police told Fox 32 this week. The teen's post, showing him wearing a mock-up of a white hood similar to a Ku Klux Klan robe, drew anger from community members, with some students calling for his expulsion. Another image posted to social media showed the teen's brother holding a gun with a threatening caption, according to Fox.

While authorities did not release the student's name, some people took to Twitter to name the teen and call for harsher punishment. Others shared screenshots of the since-deleted post, which contained the caption, "3 k's a day keeps the n****** away."

A Crete-Monee School District board member, Dr. Nakia Hall, also reacted to the post on Twitter, writing, "A VERY disturbing post by a Crete-Monee student surfaced on social media. As a parent & BOE member I am appalled. #DoSomethingNow #Eracism"

Police told Fox 32 the teen got a"stern talking to" that lasted several hours, adding that anger over the post prompted threats and calls for protests at the school's June 6 graduation ceremony.

By the end of the discussion, police "were pretty satisfied that, first of all, the individual, the juvenile ... posted it to a very limited group of people thinking it was a joke, was not aware of the sensitivity of the nature and how offensive it could be found," Crete Police Chief James M. Paoletti told ABC Chicago. Paoletti added that the teen was "very sorry" and "regrets doing it."

The teen followed the now-deleted post with an apology.

"This is NOT a representation of Crete Monee," one student wrote in the wake of the incident. "This is a representation of a sick human being."

Police patrols were stepped up at the graduation ceremony, which proceeded without incident. School officials issued a statement saying they were aware of the posts and that the students have been disciplined, according to WGN.

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