Same animosity with BHHS continues over Snapchat post

At a Samo basketball game against Beverly Hills High School on Friday, Feb. 2, a Beverly Hills student on their cheerleading team caused an uproar after posting a photograph of Samo cheerleaders accompanied by an inappropriate racial slur on her snapchat account. Samo and Beverly Hills’ parents, teachers and onlookers were horrified by the comment and decided to suspend the student for five days. Tensions during the game were already high due to the decade-long rivalry between Samo and Beverly, so it was no surprise to see photographs from both sides mocking the opposing teams. However, the controversial picture posted by the Beverly student crossed the line according to many students, staff and parents. Captioned “Monkeys”, the Snapchat post appeared to denigrate  the pictured individuals, some of whom are African-American, and those captured in the picture took serious offense. Many could not believe such a comment came from a high school student. "It was kind of strange to see a kid my age making those remarks," Samo cheerleader Chiara McDonald (’19) told CBSLA news. This is not the first incident between the two rivals. In 2015, intense verbal taunting during a home basketball game erupted in a physical fight outside the North Gym.  The conflict continued in the Civic Center parking lot where Samo students vandalized a car as Beverly students were fleeing. Disciplinary action was taken on both sides, and the issue was resolved.  In the recent case though, it is unclear if the student will receive any further punishment or consequences once she returns from her suspension. BHUSD released a statement in response to the post, assuring the frustrated onlookers that disciplinary actions would be carried out. “Beverly Hills High School has zero tolerance for derogatory speech, offensive social behavior or racial comments. There are significant consequences and disciplinary measures for students who exhibit inappropriate behavior of this nature,” the district said.  Despite the statement, many parents and students are not convinced that justice will be served.  It was initially unclear whether the students would apologize formally to the offended students, many of whom were members of the Samo cheer squad. One parent, Sharone Blades, passionately believes that nobody is doing anything to truly punish the girl. “This has been going on for a while. If legal action is being taken, why don’t we know about it? I want to know this situation is being handled,” Blades told the Santa Monica Daily Press. At Samo, teachers and administrators are making it very clear that the student’s behavior was inexcusable and intolerable. Principal Dr. Antonio Shelton passionately spoke about the issue a few days after the incident. “The word used was hurtful, and reminded me of a past in our country that I hope we will never repeat again. We have a diverse and strong community, and we need to stay focused on how we can make it better. We must not allow these racist actions to divide our community, but instead, let’s come together and work on ways to support our Samo family,” Shelton said. Despite speculation, work between schools to ensure healing has already ensued. Last Tuesday Shelton met with BHHS Principal Mark Mead, who brought two fully-signed cards for Samo’s cheer team. This restorative work also included an apology from the Beverly student directly to the Samo cheer team. Regretting her actions, the girl faced the team and shared her regrets for her actions.  “I should not have done what I did. I did not mean to offend anyone and I took it way too far. It was uncalled for and I deeply regret my actions and apologize to everyone at Samo,” the student said. As Beverly Hills and Samo allow their students to move on from the incident, both schools are hoping that this sets the example for what not to do in the future. Samo student Emma Guerrini Romano (’20) gave great advice to those who don’t always think before they press share. “What we post on social media is online forever, and just because you are behind a screen doesn’t mean you can’t be held accountable for your words. Things posted online can have serious repercussions, so it’s important to be smart about what we post, and stop before we say something that may offend someone else,” Guerrini Romano said.