FORT WORTH, Texas — Fort Worth ISD is launching a third-party investigation after people reportedly yelled racial slurs at a high school football game in September.
The district said in a statement this week that the independent investigation comes after an internal investigation that was unable to identify the people responsible. The district did not name the third party that will conduct the investigation.
Cheerleaders at North Side High School said people yelled racial slurs at them as they visited the Arlington Heights High School sideline during a Sept. 13 football game.
“We want to make it unequivocally clear that Fort Worth ISD will not tolerate any form of discrimination, harassment or hate speech of any kind,” the district said in a statement. “For anyone found responsible for engaging in such behavior there will be severe consequences which may include suspension, expulsion, or other disciplinary measures.”
The statement adds that while the alleged incident is “deeply troubling,” the “actions of a few individuals do not reflect the values and behavior of our entire campus or FWISD community.”
A group called FWISD For All, which says it advocates for safe and equitable schools, called for accountability in a statement posted to social media this week.
The group said it requested one-on-one meetings with district leaders including interim student Dr. Karen Molinar, board president Roxanne Martinez and others.
“We will not let racist incidents like these go unchecked. We will continue to fight for a safe and inclusive environment for all students in FWISD,” the group said in a statement. “It's crucial that we are united against racism in FWISD and demand better from our school district!”
Fort Worth ISD trustee Dr. Camille Rodriguez, who represents North Side High School, apologized to constituents for the lack of resolution in the case.
“It really upsets me that North Side students were first subjected to this behavior and now feel too discouraged to go through the investigation again,” Rodriguez said in a social media post. “Our students should NEVER have to experience racism, misogyny and hate.”
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