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Local leaders outraged over racist TikTok video at Lincoln Charter School
DENVER, N.C. — A TikTok video that featured two Lincoln Charter School students is causing outrage after it showed them making hurtful and racist statements.
Channel 9′s Ken Lemon spoke to school officials about how they are addressing the video.
In the video, hurtful and racist statements were used by a student. It was a part of a TikTok challenge, asking uncomfortable interview-style questions.
“What about Black people?” a student asked. “I think they are all … we should go back to slavery, you know they are all [expletive],” another student answered. Channel 9 has chosen not to share the unedited version of the video.
Local leaders tell Lemon they are frustrated the video was recorded on campus.
Debbie Williams, the former president of the Lincoln County NAACP, watched the video.
“Wow, Wow,” Williams said. “This is reality. This is nothing to joke about. You said something that was very detrimental to the Black community. Slavery was not a joke.”
School administrators told Channel 9 they are “heartbroken” and said the punishment for the students can not be released, as it would breach student privacy.
Another local leader, Lincolnton businessman Roger Calhoun, couldn’t believe what he heard, either.
“These are real people they are trying to categorize,” Calhoun said. “These are human beings.”
The video has since been removed from TikTok. It was shared on campus several times before a student took it to the school administrator.
“Quite honestly, the video is heartbreaking, frustrating,” said Dr. Jonathan Bryant, chief administrator at Lincoln Charter.
“These types of acts will not be tolerated, and this is not who we are,” said Dr. Shannon Clemons, another school administrator.
A student who has worked with other Lincoln Charter students to create posts combating the video shared her initial thoughts with Channel 9.
“When I saw it, I was in complete shock,” Chloe Craff said. “Racism is just not okay.”
Students at the school hope to move forward from the video.
“Speaking out about it, instead of shoving it to the side, will help us move forward as a school,” said Alyssa Deiulil, a student at Lincoln Charter.
Administrators said say the school board will likely look at policies and procedures to try to find ways to prevent this from happening again.
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