Uproar as Colerain High School students post 'Whites only' and 'Blacks only' notes near water fountains
Ohio, Colerain High School principal confirmed the authenticity of a viral photo of racist placards over campus water faucets in a letter to parents. On May 5, two water fountains with handwritten placards were photographed and shared on Snapchat. 'Whites Only,' read the one on the left. 'Blacks Only' was written on the right. Each placard was accompanied by an emoji of a frowning face.
Two kids were identified as the perpetrators of the racist statement, according to Principal Erin Davis' letter. Authorities were aware, according to Davis, that a photo of the sign was circulating on social media. Any student discovered to have helped distribute the photo will face disciplinary action, according to the principal.
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The letter ended with the following message: "As a school community it is our responsibility to make sure that our CHS family uphold and live out these values. We will not stand for intolerance of any kind and will discipline any student who participates in displaying intolerant behavior."
A representative for the Northwest Local School District said the perpetrators have been "issued significant disciplinary actions." The placards were only up for around 30 seconds, according to the representative, while the kids photographed them. The kids who put up the signs also took them down. Staff and other students were unaware of the placards until the photographs surfaced online. Colerain Township is located just north of Cincinnati's downtown area.
A mother of a student at the school told Fox19: "These water fountains were labeled ‘blacks only,’ ‘whites only,’ which pushed us back so many generations. My heart dropped. My heart dropped. I could not believe it. It was so offensive." She also took issue with the school's threat of disciplinary action against kids who shared the image online. She said: "Those kids were hurt, and those kids wanted to know they were hurt, but the school tried to silence them."
Another parent, who also has her child at Colerain High School, informed the station: "It's a hate crime. It's racism swept under the rug. Let's make a change. Let's speak on this stuff. Let's stop hiding it."
According to U.S. News & World Report, Black students make up 30% of Colerain's 1,730 students, while white students make up 49%. The placards make reference to Jim Crow legislation, which segregated amenities like drinking fountains and bathrooms between black and white people. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 made racial discrimination unlawful. Following that legislation and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Jim Crow laws were rendered obsolete. This is the latest in a string of alleged racist events in high schools across the United States.