A North Texas mother trying to spark a conversation about race, said she was attacked for her efforts to help her community after two slave trading incidents in Aledo ISD.
Monday night's Aledo ISD board meeting was the community's first chance to hear from Christopher Johnson, the boy who made headlines around the world after his classmates traded him for $100 on a Snapchat conversation called a slave farm, among other names.
Support for Christopher drew a social distance busting crowd to Aledo ISD Monday night, just a few hours after slave trade flyers were dumped on school grounds. An eight-year-old's mother explained how elementary-age students pinned her son down with a knee to the neck.
Ella Bulllock, a mom who tried to be a part of the healing from all this, said her effort to spark a conversation was met by racism.
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"The 60 plus racially slur-filled submissions to a survey I created have been provided to you in your packet," Bullock told board members. "The simple reality is this... is who we have allowed ourselves to become through inaction."
Superintendent Susan Bohn apologized to the community, saying "This behavior doesn't reflect the values of our school district or our community."
But Bullock fired back, citing comments the district has made in response to Johnson's incident.
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"Repeatedly I've seen things like, 'This is not who Aledo is;' and 'the actions of a few students.' These statements seek to minimize the pervasiveness of racism in our community and the Aledo ISD," said Bullock. "Anything we do now looks like damage control and not leadership."
Police are investigating the flyers on campus. Parents are encouraging others to keep sharing stories of their experiences despite the response Bullock received. They're hoping the district takes steps to lead the way in fighting racism as they have in the classroom and the football field.
