Waterloo Regional police are investigating and two students have been suspended from a Kitchener high school after racist posts targeting black people surfaced on social media.
Screengrabs of posts circulating on Twitter showed one person in blackface, a crude drawing of a person being hung from a tree, Ku Klux Klan imagery, and the N-word.
“Waterloo Region District School Board staff became aware of a number of inappropriate and disturbing social media posts of a racially motivated nature, allegedly posted by two WRDSB secondary students,” the Waterloo Region District School Board said in a statement. “Staff have been in contact with the Waterloo Regional Police Service, as well as the families of those allegedly involved, and are investigating this incident thoroughly.”
The school board called the posts “unacceptable.”
“We are disappointed by the alleged conduct of these students. We are proud of our student community for bringing this issue forward and their refusal to allow it to continue,” the board said.
In a separate statement, Huron Heights Secondary School Principal Jeff Klinck said the posts are disappointing because the school has made strides toward inclusion. He said the school is “investigating the situation fully.”
“Social media posts or messages like this are never appropriate and never funny,” Klinck said. “Our priority is to ensure that our schools remain safe places where all students experience a caring learning environment that addresses their well-being. We also know that these posts do not reflect the values and attitudes of our students and school community.”
In an email Wednesday, police said they continue to investigate.
“Our School Resource Officers was made aware of the comments and were at the school all day yesterday speaking with staff and students,” Const. Andre Johnson said in an email to CP24.com. “We are continuing to investigate this incident.”
Speaking with CTV News Kitchener Tuesday, a number of black students at Huron Heights Secondary School said the posts made them feel unsafe.
“I was genuinely disgusted when I saw it,” one student said, adding that the images “really hurt a lot of people.”
Another student called the incident “a step backwards.”
“It makes me feel really offended and unsafe, but mostly disappointed, even a little scared,” she said.
The school board said that staff are working to determine next steps and disciplinary actions.
-With files from CTV News Kitchener
