QUEEN CREEK, Ariz. — A video has recently gone viral on Twitter, Instagram, and Reddit, showing a Black student at Queen Creek High School striking a white student after the white student said a racist remark.
Numerous people who have posted the video have said that both students were given the same punishment after the incident due to a "zero tolerance" policy. But, are these reports accurate?
We started looking into this two-year-old video that has gained national attention to find the facts.
THE QUESTION
Were both students in the viral Queen Creek video given the same punishment?
THE ANSWER
No. The Black student was not given a two-week suspension, or any punishment, due to the "hate and intimidation" she experienced, the school district said.
WHAT WE FOUND
The video shows the white student saying "Go pick my cotton, it's that way," before the Black student threw something on him.
Some posts that have the video attached say that both the white student and Black student were given a two-week suspension.
Additionally, the tweet that the video is often attached to seems to claim that this event happened while Queen Creek students were returning to in-person classes this week.
Both of these claims are false, according to Public Relations and Marketing Director for Queen Creek Unified School District (QCUSD), Stephanie Ingersoll.
"Contrary to statements being made on social media, the female student was not disciplined for her response to the hate and intimidation she experienced," Ingersoll said. "The behaviors exhibited in the video are hateful, offensive, and not tolerated in QCUSD."
The district reportedly launched an investigation into the incident after it happened two years ago. The results of the investigation found that the white student used hateful and offensive behaviors and did not find any reason to punish the Black student.
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