According to Beat Chronicle, British police officers are investigating a report of seven white students aged 15-16 allegedly tying up and beating a black student to a lamppost. All of the students attend a school in Bath, England; the incident occurred sometime in January.
Vicious, nasty prejudice that I had hoped died out in the UK by the mid 1980’s is back. This disgusting behaviour is fuelled by the toxic culture of a newly reborn hard right exceptionalism, xenophobia and glorifying of Britain’s imperial and colonial past https://t.co/smW0a3qdml
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) March 14, 2018
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The seven boys proceeded to call the black student the N-word, whip him with sticks, and prepare him to be “auctioned off” – as slaves were previously.
The event was recorded and circulated via Snapchat. Though the incident occurred months ago, parents were just informed last week – after the school learned that the Beat Chronicle would be publishing a story surrounding the event.
The principal or the headmaster of the school reportedly expelled all seven of the students yet, the school board governors overturned the initial decision and instead imposed two-week suspensions. The students returned back to classes alongside the abused student.
One parent remarked: “The boy it happened to is just the sweetest little thing ever. He’s so sweet and kind and gentle. It just makes it even worse,” said one parent, a mother to mix-raced children. “I want that child to know he’s got people around him, supporting him, who will not tolerate that kind of behavior.”
Another parent told the BBC: “As a parent, my moral compass at the moment is screaming,” “Someone has to be held accountable for it. Someone has to say sorry.”
The school eventually released a statement: “You can be assured that the school has taken this incident exceptionally seriously and that our absolute priority was, and remains, that the right path is taken for all those involved as well as the wider school community.” “Given the on-going police investigation and the need to protect all those involved, you will understand that it has been necessary to maintain confidentiality and consequently that the school does not wish to comment further.”
The boys who perpetrated the event have voluntarily submitted to interviews held by police according to Avon and Somerset police forces.
The identities of all of the pupils involved have been withheld due to their ages.
