Published: March 13, 2008 11:54 am      

Slurs spread over the Internet

CUMBERLAND - Part of Shawnta Harris' daily routine includes attending classes at Fort Hill High School.

The sophomore's pursuit of an education was recently jeopardized, she said, when she was assaulted with a recent series of racist remarks. On Monday, she shared her experiences of fear and hateful comments directed toward her before a meeting at Metropolitan AME Church in Cumberland.

The meeting, attended by nearly 60 students, parents, school officials, law enforcement and civic leaders, was an effort to identify just how deep the roots of racism are set in Allegany County. Also, Harris said, to figure out what school officials are going to do to keep her safe.

Harris brought with her printouts of comments made by students from Fort Hill on MySpace.com, a popular online social gathering place. While the site often is used by friends and relatives to keep in touch, post music or video clips or to share notes on boyfriends and girlfriends, it also can be used as a place to spread racist remarks.

The printout Harris held had comments posted online from March 5 to March 7. One student on March 5 insisted that if black students are upset about people wearing or displaying the Confederate flag, "then go (to) (expletive) (Allegany High School) where there's no rednecks."

The next day, another student wrote that he or she agreed the "rebel" flag should be allowed to be displayed "and don't them nigers (sic) get away with evrything?" On March 7, another opines "the south will rise again."

Fellow sophomore Crystalee Campbell said it's a problem she's tried to set aside in the past. But she just couldn't take it anymore, she said. Then, just last week, things started to escalate. A student accused her of cutting in front of the lunch line. A reference to "white sheets" followed, Campbell said.

Campbell reacted - she yelled and used profanities. She said Monday she understood why she was punished with two days of in-school suspension. The perpetrator was given three days' OSS.

"After that two kids got sent to ISS for making racial slurs," Campbell said.

She said "everybody" was wearing a Confederate flag in protest of those two students' punishment.

The problem isn't unique to Fort Hill. Allegany High School had a standout female varsity basketball player during the 2006-2007 basketball season. During a game at Beall High School, an altercation took place in which the player was assaulted - purposefully stepped on - by a man who left the bleachers to commit the act.

That incident will likely be handled by Frostburg police, said Bob Farrell, coordinator of safety, security and risk management for Allegany County Public Schools. He encouraged the parents to file a complaint with police.

"There has to be an action to get a reaction," Farrell said.

Said AME Church Rev. Alfred Deas Jr.: "Let Frostburg know it is a community complaint."

Contact Kevin Spradlin at kspradlin@times-news.com.



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