Last Friday, during the morning announcements right after the fact about African American History Month, a photo of an orangutan eating a watermelon was shown.
BAXLEY, Ohio – After a racist incident during the morning announcements last Friday, some Bexley High School students took matters into their own hands as part of the walkout.
10TV spoke with some of the students who organized it, including 13-year-old Dema Milner and 12-year-old Gabriel Tucker. Both of them are seventh graders.
“We’re so tired of waiting for somebody to do something,” Milner said.
During the morning announcements last Friday, an image of an orangutan eating a watermelon was shown right after the fact of African Family History Month.
“It made me feel uncomfortable at school. I think the teacher will make sure we don’t see that,” Tucker said.
The district said the teacher had been placed on administrative leave, but the superintendent sent an email to the family Friday night saying the teacher had resigned.
“It’s not just black students who have suffered. White students are also suffering, and some of them understand what’s going on, so we have to think about everyone in this situation,” Milner said.
The students walked out of the classroom to the front of the school, then went to the football field.
There they were able to talk and listen to each other.
Both said it showed them that together, regardless of skin color, change can happen.
“This is our school, so we have to stand up for our school,” Milner said.
In a letter sent home to parents, the superintendent said the Board of Education would vote to fire the teacher.
https://www.10tv.com/article/news/local/bexley-middle-school-students-stage-walkout-racist-incident/530-7d5d1985-5071-4b22-9de1-99626c6f8486
