(Memphis 5/19/09) Racist graffiti found scrawled across a building at a Memphis high school has the school launching an investigation into who could have vandalized the school overnight.
The malicious vandalism was the first thing parents and students saw when they arrived at White Station High School Tuesday morning. Parents say what was written on this school was vicious and hateful, and many now plan to speak with their children about hate.
The vandalism included racial slurs, obscenities, swastikas, KKK, Hitler and other derogatory terms. As parents like Leona Collins dropped off their children at school, the vulgar graffiti stopped traffic. The graphic language was spray-painted all over a driver's education trailer and targeted a few individuals as well as was plainly racist. School officials erased the words, but the damage was already done.
"I don't know what to say," says Collins. "I'm sad. I'm embarrassed that in this day and age that people are still breeding hate." So incensed, she took pictures of the vandalism and now must find how to explain the destruction to her freshman son. "The first thing that came from his mouth was, 'This must be the senior prank' and he was just dumb-founded."
"It doesn't have to be seniors. It could be anybody who, for some reason, just doesn't like the school or just doesn't like themselves right now so they deface property," says Louise Townsend who has a son who is a senior at White Station.
"There needs to be repercussions. You can't just let this go and say it's a prank, or that it's okay. No, it's not okay. I'm offended and I'm sure a lot of other parents were offended," says Collins. "These kids are our future and if that's our future, those obscenities, that vandalism, it's going to be a scary future for us."
School leaders say the vandalism was probably a senior prank that crossed the line. They are taking the crime seriously and are reviewing 7 hours of security video as well as have involved the police.
The malicious vandalism was the first thing parents and students saw when they arrived at White Station High School Tuesday morning. Parents say what was written on this school was vicious and hateful, and many now plan to speak with their children about hate.
The vandalism included racial slurs, obscenities, swastikas, KKK, Hitler and other derogatory terms. As parents like Leona Collins dropped off their children at school, the vulgar graffiti stopped traffic. The graphic language was spray-painted all over a driver's education trailer and targeted a few individuals as well as was plainly racist. School officials erased the words, but the damage was already done.
"I don't know what to say," says Collins. "I'm sad. I'm embarrassed that in this day and age that people are still breeding hate." So incensed, she took pictures of the vandalism and now must find how to explain the destruction to her freshman son. "The first thing that came from his mouth was, 'This must be the senior prank' and he was just dumb-founded."
"It doesn't have to be seniors. It could be anybody who, for some reason, just doesn't like the school or just doesn't like themselves right now so they deface property," says Louise Townsend who has a son who is a senior at White Station.
"There needs to be repercussions. You can't just let this go and say it's a prank, or that it's okay. No, it's not okay. I'm offended and I'm sure a lot of other parents were offended," says Collins. "These kids are our future and if that's our future, those obscenities, that vandalism, it's going to be a scary future for us."
School leaders say the vandalism was probably a senior prank that crossed the line. They are taking the crime seriously and are reviewing 7 hours of security video as well as have involved the police.
