The Snow Hill High School baseball team found itself in hot water at the beginning of its season last week when classmates protested after the team allegedly circulated a racially insensitive picture and video on Snapchat.
The students held their protest on the school's football field following a staged walkout on March 23. County Schools Superintendent Lou Taylor and Snow Hill Principal Dr. Kimberly Purvis attended the protest.
Earlier this month, members of the baseball team allegedly posted a picture to the popular social media website in which several teammates posed in black masks with the text “We them (racial epithet)” superimposed on it, accompanied by dark-skinned ninja emojis.
The ninja emoji is often used online as a substitute for a notorious and highly offensive racial epithet for a Black person, according to multiple internet culture websites.
Another Snapchat post, a video, allegedly shows a white student writing a racial slur.
County school system spokesperson Carrie Sterrs said in an email that the school system does not comment specifically on what disciplinary action it took beyond that it was taken “in accordance with our established code of conduct.”
The school system learned of the incident on March 8, she said.
“It is Worcester County Public Schools' primary goal that every student and staff member feel safe and welcome in our schools,” she wrote. “It is only through an emphasis on empathy and understanding that a culture of belonging can exist, enabling learning to occur. We strive to build these environments in all of our schools, so when an incident happens that impacts that culture, we work to engage resources and support to repair any division that has happened as a result.”
Sterrs added that WCPS is providing support for students who need it in light of the recent events.
“It is our hope that these supports will assist all students in taking ownership of their words and actions and build a consensus around how best to restore the relationships that were impacted by recent events,” she wrote.
This story appears in the March 31, 2023 print edition of the OC Today.
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.