PLEASANT VIEW, Utah, Oct. 17, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — The Weber School District has interviewed three of the five female Weber High School students who appeared in a controversial video, posted on social media, which appears to contain racial slurs.
“From the information that was gathered, we believe the video was filmed one year ago while the students were on Fall break,” says a statement released by district spokesman Lane Findlay.
“It is believed the group was playing around saying gibberish words into an app, and when the recorded phrase is played backwards, it sounds like racial slur. A year after the video was made, one of the girls shared it on a social media platform as a private post. It was viewed by other students who then reposted it to other social media sites.”
The 10-second video went viral. The audio, which seemed to feature the “N” word and the “F” word, has been widely condemned as racist by social media users around the world.
“Even though the incident occurred outside of school, we are investigating the situation because of the disruption it has caused at Weber High School,” Findlay’s statement says.
“We are taking the matter very seriously and will be thorough in the investigation. Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken if the students involved are found to have
violated the school’s code of conduct. The girls we have spoken with have all been very apologetic for their actions.”
Three of the five girls in the video are cheerleaders, which puts them in the spotlight of the school’s athletic culture.
“We understand this is a very sensitive matter and it has invoked a lot of strong emotional response from people all over the world,” Findlay’s statement says. “There is no excuse for these girls’ action. With that being said, neither should there be justification for threats toward them and their families. Hatred only breeds more hatred.
“These are teenagers who made a big mistake, and they will be held accountable. Please be patient and reasonable as we deal with this situation.”
