(Trends Wide) — At least two Philadelphia high school students are facing disciplinary action after a racist video taken outside of school surfaced on social media showing a girl spraying black paint on another’s face while making racist remarks a week into the month of Black History.
According to Kenneth A. Gavin, chief of communications for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, two of the girls in the video, which began circulating online Tuesday, attend Saint Hubert Catholic Girls’ High School. A third girl in the video is not a student at the institute, he said.
“We are not going to disclose specific details of individual disciplinary actions, but the level of behavior calls for a minimum of suspension and counseling and a maximum of expulsion,” Gavin told Trends Wide in an email on Wednesday.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the Franklin Towne Charter High School said the former student in the video or any other student displaying such conduct “has no place in our school.”
“The content of this video does not reflect the values and culture of our Towne family,” the school said on its website. It is not clear if the former student was enrolled at the time of the video recording.
A black father whose daughter attends Catholic school told Trends Wide the video was sent directly to his daughter and niece, as well as other black students.
Asked if the video was initially sent to black students at the school, Gavin told Trends Wide: “The exact distribution is unknown at this time. I understand it was posted and shared on social media.”
Saint Hubert Catholic School serves about 500 female students from grades 9 to 12, while about 1,300 students attend Franklin Towne Charter High School, their respective data shows. Both schools are majority white, according to the data.
The video sparks protests.
The video began circulating on social media a week after Black History Month began.
In the video, a girl is seen using black spray paint to color another girl’s face while saying, “You’re a black girl! You know your roots! It’s February. You’re nothing but a slave… and after this she will wash my clothes.”
In the video, people can be heard laughing as this occurs. A person is seen filming the incident with her phone. The girl with her face painted black says: “I’m black and I’m proud.”
The video was recorded outside of the school and outside of school hours, according to a statement provided to Trends Wide by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia on Wednesday.
“We recognize and understand that the actions of these students have reopened social wounds in a deeply painful way. The alleged perpetrators are not present at school and will be appropriately disciplined,” the Archdiocese said.
The Archdiocese added that the school and the Office of Catholic Education are conducting a review of the incident. “If that process determines the participation of other students, they will also face disciplinary action,” the statement said.
Footage filmed by Trends Wide affiliate KYW showed parents and activists protesting outside Saint Hubert Catholic Girls’ High School on Wednesday with banners reading “No More Racism” and “Hate Hurts.”
The NAACP responds
Catherine Hicks, president of the Philadelphia chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), expressed strong disappointment in the video in a statement Wednesday and called on the school to “guarantee take action immediately.”
“It is extremely daunting to have to address this, especially during the celebration of Black History Month, which honors the achievements and rich history of Black people,” the statement said.
“Video showing the heinous acts of white Archdiocese of Philadelphia schoolgirls spray painting a young woman’s face black is totally unacceptable,” the statement continued. Saying the act was done in jest “is not only appalling, but it shows us the continuing cycle of racism we are constantly fighting against.”
In its statement, the Archdiocese said: “We take this opportunity to make it very clear that there is no place for hate, racism or bigotry at Saint Hubert or any Catholic school. It is not acceptable under any circumstances or at any time. The The use of any racial epithet is inconsistent with our values of treating all people with charity, decency and respect.”
The Archdiocese noted that the students’ behavior violates the code of conduct and policy on the use of technology, which applies to students on and off campus.
According to the statement, general threats were made against the school community Tuesday afternoon after the video surfaced on social media.
The threats were reported to law enforcement and, according to the statement, extracurricular activities will not be held at the institute for the rest of the week.
Trends Wide’s Jesscia Prater contributed to this article.
