Photo shows student with knee on neck of another student at South Caldwell High School

CALDWELL COUNTY, N.C. — A photo circulating on social media shows a student with his knee on the neck of another students at South Caldwell High School.

The student can be seen giving a thumb up, and the caption reading, “Welcome to South Caldwell.”

In a video message on Friday, the principal addressed the issue, calling it inappropriate and insensitive.

“Our nation has been forced to reflect on this difficult history. Our challenging present and our responsibilities to each other as good people. Our school is going through these difficult dialogues right now,” principal Phillip Little said. “We’ve conducted a thorough investigation of this violation of school’s rules and the code of conduct. We’ve dealt with the parties responsible and we’ve counseled with their families.”

The Caldwell County Schools superintendent said the picture of two Caldwell County students reenacting the scene involving George Floyd was “troubling and disturbing.”

The principal said on Monday, the school plans to share a unified message of tolerance and citizenship. Additional counselors will also be on hand for student support.

Full statement from Caldwell County Schools Superintendent Dr. Don Phipps:

“Earlier today, I was made aware of a picture of two Caldwell County students reenacting the scene involving George Floyd that we have all become aware of. This troubling and disturbing image has been distributed through various social media platforms. I want to stress that this image does not represent the values, beliefs or ideals of the Caldwell County Schools. Our desire is for our school system to inspire, motivate, and educate students. Our work must involve building and strengthening relationships, not tearing down and separating. We desire that our schools provide places of physical and emotional safety for our students, staff, and visitors. We are appalled by this behavior and extend our apologies for any emotional turmoil that it has caused. We pledge to use this as a catalyst for work in our system to build harmony as we strive to stand together, united, in support of one another.”

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