FBI investigating altered racist photo calling for ‘No Black people’ at Rio Americano High School
A California high school has “found no evidence” that a racist online bulletin targeting Black people originated from its website.
A California high school has “found no evidence” that a racist online bulletin targeting Black people originated from its website.
An altered screenshot from the Rio Americano High School website has prompted an investigation by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department and the FBI, sacbee.com reports. The image titled, “District-wide High School No Black people policy,” is circulating on Facebook and Snapchat and reportedly contains a slew of pearl-clutching racist slurs in the message. The post also warns that the Ku Klux Klan would be patrolling the hallways.
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But according to San Juan Unified School District officials, the photo is fake and was never on Rio Americano’s site.
“After our initial review, we have found no evidence that a website with this message ever existed on the Rio Americano High School website,” said district community relations director Trent Allen.
Rio Americano is a public high school in Arden-Arcade, California, just outside Sacramento. According to Atlanta Black Star, “white students account for 67 percent of Rio’s population, while 15 percent of students identify as Latino and 4 percent as Black.”
District officials first learned of the offending image Thursday, calling it “incredibly hurtful.”
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“The message does not represent Rio Americano High School, its staff, students or community,” said Allen. “Already, the student body is coming together add messages of inclusion and acceptance to a planned rally.”
The Sacramento Sheriff’s Department and FBI have launched an investigation to track down the culprit responsible for the altered racist message. Officials admit the memo was never published online — only shared via text and social media.
“It is not acceptable to make any individual feel intimidated, harassed or otherwise discriminated against,” said Rio Americano Principal Brian T. Ginter, and the students agree with him. Many have reportedly vowed to come together and “add messages of inclusion and acceptance to a planned rally,” said Allen.
