HINESBURG, Vt. (WCAX) – Another instance of hate speech on social media is causing consternation in Chittenden County high schools.
It comes a week after school officials banned student-fans from attending a basketball game between Champlain Valley Union High School and Rice because of online rhetoric.
The posts are filled with racist imagery, and some are AI-generated and include student athletes. The account, which has now been taken down, claimed to be affiliated with CVU.
CVU officials say information they have suggests the posts came from outside the school community, and they denounce them as being hateful and dehumanizing. Officials are working with nearby schools, including Burlington, South Burlington, and Rice, which were all mentioned in the posts.
The Vermont Principals’ Association’s Lauren Young says they are asking students and parents to speak up to end the targeted posts. “We’re trying to activate our student sections to do the right thing, to let us know who it is, to talk to a trusted adult, to report and block these accounts on social media, to stop the spread of hate,” she said.
In an email to families, CVU officials said, “If it is determined that these posts originated from a CVU student, we will hold that individual accountable to the full extent of our policies.”
CVU also said they are working with police to determine the source of the posts.
The VPA says student groups are dismayed by the posts and don’t want the community to be poisoned by a person who may or may not be from the area.
