Two students posted a photo of themselves wearing blackface and using the N-word while describing the picture, Walt Whitman High School's principal said.
In a letter to the Whitman school community, Principal Robert W. Dodd said the two Whitman students posted the photo over the weekend on a private social media account that was seen by many other students. The image was then shared online for more people to see.
Dodd confirmed that the Montgomery County Police Department assisted in the investigation Monday morning.
"I want to emphasize as strongly as possible that this type of behavior will not be tolerated at Walt Whitman High School," Dodd said. "Students who were involved will receive significant consequences under the Montgomery County Public School’s Code of Conduct."
The incident has also been reported to police as a "hate-bias incident."
Dodd said he is planning to meet with Dr. Brian Scriven, the Montgomery County Public Schools Director of School Support and Improvement, and with Troy Boddy, the MCPS director of the Equity Initiatives Unit, to discuss the incident as well as other incidents of "racial intolerance."
"Every student deserves to feel like Walt Whitman is their school," Dodd said. "Racist incidents have a profoundly negative impact on how our students of color and their families perceive the safety, education, and support our school has to offer."
