southlake

Video Surfaces of Carroll ISD Students Using Racial Slur for 2nd Time This School Year

A separate video appeared online in late October

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What to Know

  • Carroll ISD in Southlake is investigating after a video surfaced online of students using a racial slur.
  • A video of a similar nature appeared in late October.
  • A school district official said the students would face discipline, but would not go into specifics.

Southlake's Carroll ISD is dealing with another offensive video.

For the second time this school year, a video has surfaced of Carroll students repeatedly using a racial slur.

The school district became aware of the video on Tuesday evening, Carroll ISD assistant superintendent for board and community relations Julie Thannum said.

In the video, there are four students in the car singing along to a song, then repeating the racial slur multiple times.

Thannum said two of the teens in the car were Carroll ISD students, and she believed all of the teens in the car were under the age of 18.

She did not say what school the students attended, but that it involved two Carroll ISD campuses.

One of the students in the video has since apologized.

"I think an apology goes a long way," Thannum said. "Again, we are dealing with kids and dealing with a situation that sometimes they don't realize the implications of their actions and while it's not an excuse, an apology helps."

This comes just months after another offensive video surfaced.

The school district formed a diversity group, and made an effort to hold community meetings to discuss cultural awareness.

"My reaction to this last night was at first disbelief and then totally angry, totally angry… because so many people in this community have stepped up to make meaningful change and I knew that this just set us back," Southlake Mayor Laura Hill said.

Hill also wrote a lengthy Facebook post, that called on parents to "wake the heck up."

Robin Cornish, mother of five Carroll ISD graduates couldn't agree more, but she said it will continue without tougher punishments.

"Nothing is really done, its just a slap on the wrist.. there are just no consequences," said Cornish. "At the end of the day, its real, its wrong and something needs to be done."

Cornish said racism in Southlake has been an issue for years. She said it was an issue even when her late husband and former Dallas Cowboy, Frank Cornish, coached in the district. A plaque dedicated to his service in the community was defaced with the letters "KKK" etched in it. That plaque has since been replaced, but the markings are still fresh in her mind.

Cornish said she undersatnds the district has a tall order ahead of them, but that they and others, must understand what videos like this do to the community.

"You are hurting people. To put something on social media using the "N-word. It hurts. It runs deep. It cuts, opens a wound and its hurtful," said Cornish.

The district said the students would face consequences, but would not go into specifics of what they would be.

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