Racial slur rap videos causing controversy in Spanish Fort

By Cliff McCollum
Posted 11/8/17

Controversy has been brewing in Spanish Fort over two derogatory rap songs created by a Spanish Fort High student.

Using a phone app, the student created rap videos that used racial slurs and made …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Subscribe to continue reading. Already a subscriber? Sign in

Get the gift of local news. All subscriptions 50% off for a limited time!

You can cancel anytime.
 

Please log in to continue

Log in

Racial slur rap videos causing controversy in Spanish Fort

Posted

Controversy has been brewing in Spanish Fort over two derogatory rap songs created by a Spanish Fort High student.

Using a phone app, the student created rap videos that used racial slurs and made derogatory remarks about black people, immigrants and the LGBT community.

Some SFHS students and the Baldwin County chapter of the NAACP have recently protested on the SFHS campus and have asked school officials that the student involved be punished by the school system.

“Right now, it’s my understanding that the kid hasn’t gotten any sort of punishment for what has been done,” Baldwin County NAACP President Alec Barnett said. “There needs to be some kind of disciplinary action taken because of this incident.”

Barnett said he has also contacted the national NAACP for their help and advice on the issue.

“They said they would be sending someone down to help us on the legal end of things,” Barnett said. “Since it doesn’t look like the school system is going to act, we need their help.”

Baldwin County Superintendent Eddie Tyler released a statement about the videos last week, saying that while he and other school officials were “horrified” by the videos, they were not recorded on school property or with school equipment.

Tyler’s statement reads as follows:

“While this matter did not happen on school system property nor at a school sanctioned event, the entire system, including the principal and I, as superintendent, take this matter very seriously and are working with all the parties involved to try to determine if any action can be taken and what actions would be appropriate under the law.

“Of course, we are horrified beyond words by the vile and disgusting nature of the recordings. However, the public, the media, the NAACP, and everyone involved needs to understand that we cannot under any circumstance disclose or even discuss any disciplinary matter which would involve a student in our school system.

“We have been inundated with requests to speak about this matter but because it involves the private educational records of minor children, we are prohibited from discussing it. We understand the sensitivity of this matter and we also understand the gravity of the actions which were taken but we also need the participants to understand that this did not happen on school property. It did not happen on school property nor at a school-sanctioned event. It genuinely has nothing to do with the school but we have spoken with the parents and they are mortified. They are also trying to figure out how to deal publicly with what, just last week, was a personal family matter. Now it is news.

“Even though we cannot discuss any disciplinary actions, we can state that this is a teachable moment which we are looking towards. We are trying to find a way to make this teachable moment to impress on these young adults how they should and should not behave.

“We ask that you respect the sensitivity of this matter and our limitations under federal law. We will provide future updates as we are able.”