Downers Grove Student Filmed Writing Racial Slur On Whiteboard

DOWNERS GROVE, IL --- Officials at Downers Grove North say they are "disappointed" after a video turned up on social media apparently depicting a girl writing a racial slur on a whiteboard . In a letter to parents, District 99 Superintendent Dr. Hank Thiele said the school "immediately responded by identifying the students and contacting their parents."

He said there is an ongoing investigation into "all facts" surrounding the incident and apologized for the "hurt that [the video] has caused." Thiele added that the incident did not take place at Downers Grove North.

When the video first surfaced on Twitter and Facebook, it ignited a firestorm of criticism calling for the student to be expelled and challenging District 99 officials to take action. One person who shared the video on Facebook wrote, "I wonder what North High School in Downers Grove is doing about this?" They added, " Probably nothing because they’ve never done anything in the past about their white students and their prejudice/racist antics believe me I know from experience."

In his letter, Thiele thanked those who brought the video to the attention of school officials. He also stressed that the behavior in the video is "unacceptable and is inconsistent with the values we cherish at District 99." Thiele added that the district encourages students to report such incidents to "a trusted adult" or via the school's "anonymous alerts" program.

When asked whether the students received any disciplinary action, Thiele said in an email, "We are handling this serious situation according to our discipline protocol. Due to student privacy, we cannot share specific consequences that will be issued."

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