Signs Over Water Fountains at High School: 'My Heart Dropped'

Cincinnati students are being disciplined for 'whites only,' 'Blacks only' signs, photos shared online
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted May 19, 2022 6:40 PM CDT
Racist Signs Over Water Fountains Cause Stir at High School
Stock photo.   (Getty Images/Nebasin)

Students at an Ohio high school are in hot water after racist signs were placed in the school and used as props for social media posts. NBC News reports that those signs at Cincinnati's Colerain High School read "whites only" and "Blacks only" and were placed over water fountains at the school—which has a student population that's 30% Black—then photographed, according to the Northwest Local School District, which says it found out about the incident on May 5. The signs were only up for about 30 seconds and weren't seen by any other students or staff, per a district spokesperson, but the photos were subsequently posted online, reports WXIX.

"My heart dropped. I could not believe it. It was so offensive," one parent tells the news station, adding the incident "pushed us back so many generations." Parents received a letter from the district the day the incident was discovered, with officials noting that not only those who put up the signs would be in trouble, but also those who shared the photos online.

The students most closely involved have since reportedly been tracked down, and in a follow-up Monday statement, the district noted that "those who participated in this tasteless and hurtful act have been issued significant disciplinary action." It didn't spell out what that punishment was. The district added, per WKRC: "NWLSD stands firm in creating a culture of inclusivity, respect, kindness, and compassion for everyone. ... [W]e will not tolerate any action from anyone that compromises or disrupts that culture." (More racism stories.)

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