Anonymous Racist Email Targets Black High School Cheerleading Coach

Fairfax County Public Schools is trying to find out who sent an anonymous racist email targeting a former high school cheerleading coach.

Faith Dabrio, 24, oozes the qualities that makes a good cheerleader beyond her athleticism.

“I love it,” she said. “It’s something that no one can take away from me, my passion for cheer.”

She coached the Oakton High School cheer team last year but left in November, saying she didn’t feel supported in the job.

“We had ups and downs through the whole season, and we did not feel supported by administration when it came to handling certain issues that involved our team, and ultimately, I kind of decided that this isn’t where I want to be right now,” Dabrio said. 

Last week she got a call from a cheer parent to discuss the anonymous email sent to the new cheer coach.

It said, in part, “Many of us would not feel comfortable with another colored individual coaching cheerleading at Oakton. While this may be seen as racist or having a prejudice against certain races of people, the last two years have shown that this is just not something that has worked out.”

It went on to say, “Our school and history of coaches have been predominantly white. Many of the girls were shocked to see another coach last season with such dark and strong features.”

Dabrio, who replaced another African American coach, said she she was shocked by the cruelty of the writer's words.

“My mental health has not been the best because this situation has taken its toll on me,” she said.

Someone also sent the email to the Fairfax County NAACP, which called for an investigation.

“I do hope that they will really get to the bottom of it, because the children there deserve better,” said Sujatha Hampton, second vice president of the Fairfax County NAACP. “The letter indicates a long-standing culture, and who knows how many generations of cheer children, anyways, athletes on the cheer teams, have gone through this?”

The school principal sent a letter that said, in part, “I recently met with cheer team parents and student athletes to reiterate that Oakton High School stands united against all forms of hate, racism and discrimination. The cheer team parents and student athletes stand 100% with this sentiment.”

“I’m proud to be Black and I’m proud to be a Black woman in America,” Dabrio said. “Whatever they said in that email is a reflection of them, not me. It’s how they feel about me, not how I feel about myself.”

The new coach is an alumnus of the school. The email appears to be an attempt to welcome her back, ending with, “Let's make Oakton cheer great again.”

The NAACP said it's disappointed Fairfax County Public Schools doesn’t track acts of hate reported within the system, and it believes that if FCPS did, it would see an increase because the NAACP is getting pretty consistent complaints from students, parents and teachers.

Fairfax County Public Schools’ superintendent sent out a statement saying the system is launching a third-party investigation to try and find out who sent the email.

“Regardless of the outcome of the investigation of this hateful message, we must ensure that our communities, including our schools, are safe places for all to live and learn,” the statement said. “Together, we must stand up and say in one voice, ‘Enough!’”