An investigation has been launched in response to a Snapchat post showing three Colorado high school students reenacting the murder of George Floyd, Denver Postreports.
“Yesterday, we were made aware of a highly-offensive photo taken on school grounds and posted to social media that did not reflect our school’s high standards of respect, character and inclusivity,” Mead High School Principal Rachael Ayers wrote.
The photo shows one student in blackface lying on the ground with another kneeling on his neck, and someone else placing a knee on the other person’s back. A spokesperson for the school district said details about its investigation cannot be disclosed.
Don Haddad, superintendent for the St. Vrain Valley school district, strongly condemned the “disgusting and disturbing” photo, while promising that this matter will be addressed immediately and accordingly.
Floyd’s death created a watershed moment in U.S. history where Americans were forced to reckon with the ongoing reality of systematic racism and police brutality disproportionately impacting Black people.
The video of a helpless Floyd repeatedly saying that he couldn’t breathe as convicted former officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds galvanized people around the world to take to the streets in the middle of a pandemic to protest under one simple statement: Black Lives Matter.
Chauvin was found guilty of third-degree murder last month. He awaits his sentencing, which is scheduled for next month. His lawyer has filed an appeal for a new trial.
