Monte Vista High School principal reveals more racial incidents happening at school

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ByEric Thomas KGO logo
Friday, December 20, 2019
Monte Vista high principal reveals more racial incidents at school
For the second time this month, the principal of Monte Vista High school in Danville has sent a letter home to parents informing them of a racial incident involving a student.

DANVILLE, Calif. (KGO) -- For the second time this month, the principal of Monte Vista High school in Danville has sent a letter home to parents informing them of a racial incident involving a student.

It's not the first time that African Americans have been target of racial harassment and school administrators tell ABC7 News that this won't be tolerated.

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There are finals Thursday and Friday at Monte Vista High, then Christmas break begins. But, this season doesn't feel so jolly, on Dec. 6, the principal sent home the first of two troubling letters.

"The first said we're frustrated that we're getting reports of racial harassment," said Christopher George, spokesman for the San Ramon Valley Unified School District.

Then yesterday, another letter went out.

"We had more incidents reported to us throughout this week," George said.

In one incident in an online chat room, a student called the African American male she was talking with, the N-word.

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Lalane Shepherd says her son Briton was the target of racist graffiti written inside a boys bathroom at Monte Vista in 2016.

"It doesn't surprise me based on what's the climate of the country right now," Shepherd said. "It stays with you cause they are hurtful."

Her son graduated last year and she credits school officials with trying to improve things -- but Sheperd says, "There's always going to be hate, right? There's always going to be hateful words. I think it's really a matter of how we address it as adults."

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Monte Vista High School is not identifying the student involved in the incident, but they say there are already programs from inside and outside of the school district to reduce racial animosity and increase understanding.

Officials vow to keep trying, and say there will be repercussions.

"We'll follow the ed. code, and there will be consequences," according to Chris George. However, the district won't say what those consequences could be.

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