Northeast Lauderdale High School officials say they are investigating a video that shows a student drawing a racial slur in the dirt on a baseball field after it surfaced on social media over the weekend.
In the video, a young white person, dressed in a red t-shirt with the words “Trojans Baseball” and a red baseball cap with the school’s “T” logo, uses a rake to write the n-word in the dirt of what appears to be the school’s baseball diamond. The dugout in the background bears the words “Northeast Baseball” in white letters on a red background. Officials at the school in Meridian, Mississippi, acknowledged that the person is a student at the school.
“Northeast Lauderdale High School administration is aware of a social media post involving one of our students and is currently reviewing the situation,” the statement read.
The school said it was working closely with the “appropriate parties and will address the matter in accordance with district policies and procedures.”
“NEHS is committed to maintaining a safe, orderly, and respectful environment for all students and staff,” the statement continued. “Neither our district nor our school accepts or condone racism, discrimination, harassment or behavior that is inconsistent with the expectations of our school community.”
District Will Not Publicize Disciplinary Actions
The school said in the statement that due to student privacy laws, it could not share additional details. The Mississippi Free Press reached out to the school for details on its policies and procedures, but the school declined to comment.
“At this time, the Lauderdale County School District will not conduct a phone interview regarding the incident referenced in your email,” Lauderdale County Assistant Superintendent of Students’ Services and School Improvement Victor Gilstrap replied via email. “The district has issued an official statement, and the matter is currently being reviewed through established district protocols.”
Gilstrap did confirm the investigation is ongoing.
”A part of that process, school administrators are conducting interviews with students and communicating with parents as appropriate. The district is also operating under the guidance of legal counsel to ensure all actions are consistent with applicable board policy, student due process requirements and federal student privacy protections under FERPA,” he said.
Mississippi High School Activities Association Executive Director Rickey Neaves said the association has rules that govern racism and hate crimes. However, their response is limited since the incident did not occur at an MHSAA-sanctioned event.
“We have policies against racism and hate crimes, and that was done on the school campus and not at one of our events,” Neaves told the Mississippi Free Press on May 11. “So, therefore, that is left up to the school to handle, but they are working through us, and they are handling the situation as needed.”
The district handbook available online lists a section titled “Threats / Bullying / Harassing / Discrimination.” It states, “The district prohibits bullying and harassment in our schools. The school board believes that all students and employees are entitled to a safe, impartial and harassment-free school experience. Bullying, harassment or discrimination will not be tolerated and will be just cause for disciplinary action. Proactive steps through character education programs, PBIS and classroom discussions will be taken in grades K-12 to prevent such aggressive behavior.”
The discipline ladder lists actions beginning with contacting the parent to expulsion for behaviors under that statute.
Gilstrap said the district would not discuss any possible consequences that the student may incur.
“Because this is a student matter involving confidentiality considerations, the district will not provide additional comments regarding specific students or potential disciplinary actions,” he said.
‘Accountability Remains Necessary’
Meridian-Lauderdale County NAACP President De’Angelo Houston released a statement condemning the act.
“Racial slurs are not jokes, pranks or harmless mistakes—they inflict real harm and must be addressed with seriousness, accountability and education,” he said.
Houston said that even though a minor committed the act, the response must still be swift and decisive.
“While the individuals involved are juveniles, accountability remains necessary,” he said. “The Meridian-Lauderdale County NAACP branch believes consequences should reflect both the seriousness of the conduct and the opportunity for education and rehabilitation.”
In the statement, Houston said the NAACP remains committed to advocating for “respectful and equitable learning environments for all students.”
“This behavior is unacceptable and has no place in our schools, athletic programs or community. Acts involving racial slurs contribute to a hostile and painful environment for African American students, families, educators and community members,” Houston said. “The intentional nature of this act, coupled with the decision to record it, further demonstrated the need for more meaningful intervention and accountability.”
The NAACP also called for the school to use the incident as an opportunity to implement “restorative and educational measures that promote understanding, cultural awareness, and respect among students.”
Neaves, the Mississippi High School Activities Association executive director, said the actions reflected in the video he reviewed do not align with the standards expected of MHSAA student-athletes.
“There is no place for things like that in society today,” Neaves said. “I am very, very disappointed in that, because we do hold our athletes to a higher standard, both in the classroom and outside the classroom.”
