NAACP demands action in wake of Berkeley High threats

BERKELEY, Calif. (KTVU) - The NAACP's Berkeley chapter and student leaders on Friday demanded a change at Berkeley High, the day after a racist threat sparked a walkout and massive protest march.

It was late Thursday afternoon when school officials announced that they had identified the Berkeley High student who made racist threats on a library computer.

The NAACP said school officials have not done enough to address threats made against African American students and that racism is an ongoing problem at Berkeley High.

"We're deeply shaken by the remarks made by a student. We were deeply hurt," said Rayven Wilson, a Berkeley High senior who's also the NAACP Youth Council vice president.

It's a sentiment shared by many Berkeley High students when they walked out of class in protest.

Now the students and the NAACP want to make sure the student who confessed to writing the racist remarks is punished.

"It can't be brushed under the rug. It can't be taken lightly. It is not a joke. Racism is not a joke. Death threats are not a joke," said Moni Law, advisor to the NAACP Youth Council.

Sources tell KTVU the student is a male freshman. The school district says it will take disciplinary action against him and that options include suspension or expulsion.

But state law prohibits the district from saying what the exact punishment will be.
　
"We're simply saying that we can't publicize what those consequences were. That doesn't minimize the consequences at all," said the Berkeley Unififed School District's Mark Coplan.

School officials plan to designate December 9th as "Take Back the Day". That's the date the student had written that a lynching would take place.

Instead, there will be assemblies and programs designed to promote African American culture and achievements. The district says it will be a day to give back to the students for the threat to their safety.

"We are unified. We will not stand by while people threaten our students and our children," said Coplan.
　
"That's not enough. What action are they taking to make sure this doesn't happen again?" asked Law.

The racist threats found on the library computer follow on the heels of two other incidents.

Last fall, a noose was found on a tree in the campus courtyard.
A few months before that, the school recalled its yearbooks
after someone change the word "innovators" to "trash collectors" in reference to a program that largely enrolls blacks and Latinos.

Those responsible were never caught.

"Whether it's so called prank or a real threat, it's a threat by its impact," said Law.

The school district says it plans to work with the NAACP to find solutions. The group says it wants changes that will insure that students are safe and to prevent further racist incidents.