FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. — The Fairfax County NAACP is calling for an independent investigation into an anonymous racist email sent to a cheer coach at Oakton High School in March.
According to the Fairfax County NAACP, whoever wrote the email claimed to speak on behalf of many of the parents and students on "this sensitive topic."
The message appears to claim that parents and students would not be comfortable with "another colored individual" coaching cheerleading at the high school in Vienna.
The organization released the full message sent in their a release Wednesday, which reads:
"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. 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."
In a May 8 letter to the community, Oakton High School Principal Jamie S Lane said the email contained racist and hate-filled language and ideologies and that the coach reported it to the director of student activities. The principal also met with cheer team parents and student-athletes to reiterate that the school stands against all forms of hate, racism and discrimination.
The person who wrote the email remains a mystery.
"Our technology staff tried to identify the sender but were unsuccessful," Lane's letter reads.
The racist message is referencing cheer coach Faith Dabrio.
"This is her very first coaching job," said Terk Stevens, Dabrio's uncle who says she was bullied as a coach at Oakton and felt unsupported by school administrators. "So your first time doing something that you love, to be able to give back, and then you receive this, is unacceptable, and just very disheartening."
Nearly two months later, the NAACP is demanding action from Fairfax County Public Schools, saying "there has been no significant action taken to assure the safety of the athletes on the Cheer team" to date. They are calling for an independent outside investigation into the matter, pointing to the danger the email poses to current students, the failure of FCPS to act with urgency and the "long-standing culture of racism referenced in the email."
"The real issue is the leadership," Stevens said. "The leadership knew about it. And when they were confronted about it, they didn't take immediate actions. You put out a statement is one thing, but getting to the bottom of it -- it's been months!"
The NAACP statement said ongoing communication between Fairfax County NAACP’s Education Committee and FCPS staff has led nowhere with school staff deflecting blame and refusing to accept the reality of the situation and deal with it effectively.
"The more time that passes where children are subjected to a threat of unknown origin and unknown magnitude, the greater the danger to their physical and emotional well-being," the NAACP statement says.
FCPS released a statement Wednesday, saying they plan to hire a third-party investigator to help figure out who sent the anonymous email.
“FCPS works hard each day to create a school environment where all students and staff are valued and feel accepted and supported. We condemn all hateful behavior. FCPS has attempted to establish the origin of the email as part of our own internal investigation. Unfortunately, we have been unable to do so. Moving forward, we intend to retain a third-party investigator to delve further into this matter.”
FCPS Superintendent Michelle Reid followed up later in the day with an additional letter to the Oakton community assuring families that an independent investigation was ongoing.
"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," Reid wrote. "Together, we must stand up and say in one voice, enough!"
The Fairfax County NAACP is also asking to be allowed to see the full results of FCPS' investigation upon its conclusion.
"As always, the Branch stands ready to work with FCPS to support all students in accessing an excellent education, and learning and thriving in peace," the branch said.
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