Colo. Students Expelled for Violent Hate Group Posts
The group’s 15 members made vague threats and derogatory statements against multiple minority groups.
Five students have been expelled from a Colorado high school following the discovery of a Facebook hate group where students called for executions of Jews and African-Americans.
Boulder police say they discovered the group after a member committed suicide, reportedly to show allegiance to the Nazi party. Authorities were also investigating reports of threats and harassment directed toward a student at Boulder Preparatory High School by classmates.
Now five of those classmates have been expelled and a city that’s considered relatively liberal is trying to understand how such an extreme movement could have gained support.
“It was a shock to the community,” Scott Levin of the regional Anti-Defamation League says of the group’s discovery. “It isn’t as if there is any identifiable group [in Boulder] that is advocating this. There’s a lot of hateful rhetoric going on in this country right now, and that has just empowered some teenagers.”
RELATED: Countering Potential Threats with Social Media Monitoring
The group, titled “4th Reich’s Official Group Chat,” had about 15 members. People posted pictures of weapons and made derogatory statements about gays, blacks, Mexicans and Jews. Members also discussed “killing all Jews and [N-words],” according to The Guardian.
Police have announced they will not press charges because they’ve discovered no evidence of a credible threat to members of the community.
Boulder Preparatory is not the only school that the group’s members attended, although they appear to be the only institution that has taken disciplinary action.
Christina Hughes, a member of the local Black Lives Matter chapter, says there are very few black students in the community and urged school officials to add anti-racism programs in the curriculum.
Watch Next: FBI Director James Comey Discusses Race and Law Enforcement
If you appreciated this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our FREE digital newsletters!
Related Content
Leading in Turbulent Times: Effective Campus Public Safety Leadership for the 21st Century
This new webcast will discuss how campus public safety leaders can effectively incorporate Clery Act, Title IX, customer service, “helicopter” parents, emergency notification, town-gown relationships, brand management, Greek Life, student recruitment, faculty, and more into their roles and develop the necessary skills to successfully lead their departments. Register today to attend this free webcast!
