Clovis student’s ‘deeply disturbing’ racist comments under investigation by district

Editor’s note: This story includes images that contain racist and offensive comments.

Thousands of community members are calling for the expulsion of a Clovis Unified student who posted racist statements on social media about George Floyd protesters.

The student’s comments contained multiple racial slurs, including repeated use of the N-word and ended by suggesting white people should protest violence by “hunting and killing” black people.

The student also posted a meme depicting a vehicle hitting people and wrote, “All lives splatter. Nobody cares about your protest.”

The Bee is not identifying the student because he is a minor.

Clovis Unified spokesperson Kelly Avants confirmed the student attends Buchanan High and said the district has been pursuing a “disciplinary investigation” of the “deeply disturbing posts.”

“These posts, shared among young people in the community, contained racially charged language and imagery directed at African Americans in general,” Avants said in an email to The Bee. “Derogatory and inciting language such as was used in these messages has absolutely no place in our community and is contradictory to the character and ethics we expect from students in Clovis Unified, and we will take every action within our power to ensure there are consequences.”

It’s still unclear what consequences the student could face, and Avants said the education code is the “guiding standard.”

“One of the first things that we must do is establish that we have jurisdiction to pursue discipline,” she added. “... sometimes our students who are involved in co-curricular programs also sign a code of conduct that may bring disciplinary consequences into play if it has been violated.”

The student issued an apology Wednesday on his Snapchat story: “For all those who have seen my post, I am sorry for the words I’ve said, it took me longer than it should have but I realized that what I said was hateful and hurtful and I shouldn’t have said those things just because I was angry.”

However, after the apology, the student posted another photo to social media that said, “Rode on the back of the bus today, felt like a (racial epithet), (expletive) was wack.”

The screenshots have been shared on Facebook more than 400 times.

On Wednesday, a petition circulated online calling for the student’s expulsion from school. The petition was created by a Clovis Unified student and had more than 4,000 signatures as of Friday.

“Though his words have hurt many across CUSD, Buchanan High School has yet to reprimand him for his actions,” the petition said. “CUSD is a district filled with various cultures and colors; having a student say such harmful words is entirely unacceptable. Sign the petition to have him expelled.”

This week there have been multiple reports across the country of cars hitting protesters and driving through crowds. In Visalia, two women were hit by a Jeep during a protest in support of Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck for nearly 10 minutes.

Community members described the Clovis student’s comments as “disturbing,” “awful,” “disrespectful,” and “inexcusable,” among others.

Superintendent Eimear O’Farrell posted a letter on Wednesday to the district’s Facebook page about cultural proficiency.

“Our work isn’t perfect, and it is far from complete,” O’Farrell said. “Just as we have seen over the past week, these are wounds that run deep and are complex questions that don’t have easy answers. Education really is the game changer. When done right, it builds understanding. It raises awareness. It increases capacity for respect, for compassion, and for hope.”

This week, a Fresno Unified School District teacher made remarks on her social media page against those supporting recent protests. Kings Canyon Middle School teacher Marcy Barlow Barnhart made her comments Monday on her personal Facebook page, which quickly circulated online before they were taken down.

Her post said: “Those of you who call yourselves ‘EDUCATORS’ and are on your social media platform supporting the rioting/looting/ criminal behavior going on...... YOU DISGUST ME! I pray to God my students are smarter and less ghetto than you!!”

Fresno Unified officials said they were “looking into the matter” but did not respond to any other questions.

The Education Lab is a local journalism initiative that highlights education issues critical to the advancement of the San Joaquin Valley. It is funded by donors. Learn about The Bee’s Education Lab on our website.

This story was originally published June 5, 2020 at 2:31 PM.