COOPERSVILLE, Mich. — Coopersville High School student Jayden Hill will be a senior this fall. She said over the weekend, two boys posted something to Snapchat that has her sick to her stomach.
“One boy laid on the ground, while the other boy knelt on his neck and joked about the situation of George Floyd. They captioned the picture with #georgefloydlivesdontmatter, which in a sense, is a way of saying black lives don’t matter,” Hill said.
Hill said she is one of just a handful of black students at her school, and this post shows a lack of understanding.
“It made me feel horrible. It’s just a huge disgrace. It’s a huge backstab to the whole black community,” Hill said.
FOX 17 has blurred the boys' faces and taken their names out of the screenshot, because they are minors, and the school has not identified them.
Hill said it's hard to believe she walks the same halls as students who could feel this way. She said even if they did it as a joke, she's not laughing.
“I think they are old enough to know what they were doing. They posted it publicly,” Hill said.
Sources at Coopersville High School confirm they are aware of the post, and the high school is investigating. Hill said she hopes this is a lesson for her classmates.
“I think Coopersville needs to take some classes into diversity and to have a policy against these issues and to learn more about how they can better educate our students on why this isn’t right,” Hill said.
Coopersville Public Schools issued the following statement regarding the Snapchat:
Coopersville Area Public Schools (CAPS) has become aware of allegations involving two individuals from within the community. The District will cooperate fully with law enforcement as they investigate these allegations. At this time, there is no indication that the allegations directly involve the District or its personnel. As a matter of policy, CAPS does not comment on criminal investigations. Please refer all questions regarding this investigation to the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office.
Coopersville Area Public Schools is committed to working for positive social change within our community. We inspire all students to embrace a life-long love of learning, to achieve their goals and to be compassionate citizens who contribute to the global community. We believe compassion applies to every community member regardless of their age, race, gender or religious beliefs.
We stand against all forms of racism and are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, both in policy and in practice. When racism occurs in any form on our school campus or within the District’s educational or extracurricular programs or activities, we immediately take action to investigate and hold students and staff members accountable for behaviors inconsistent with our values or policies.
Captain Bennett with the Sheriff's department says the actions shown in the photo are distasteful and they are investigating.
The sheriff's department will present their findings to the county prosecutor who will determine whether or not criminal charges may be involved.
UPDATE: Coopersville superintendent said the two boys in question are not Coopersville High School students. Read the update here.
