Some students in Nantucket, Massachusetts, were seen in a photo holding up what appears to be a "very inappropriate" racial slur, the district said Tuesday.
"We are sending you this message because it is essential that you know — students, parents, and Nantucket community members — that we do not condone nor will we tolerate any racial slurs or racist behavior from anyone in our school community," Nantucket Public Schools wrote in a letter to the school community.
The picture circulated on social media and was shared with other students, officials said.
While the photo was taken outside of school hours, the district said it was investigating and have started talking to students and parents.
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"We are looking into the details, as it is having a large impact on our student body," the district wrote. "We will be monitoring the health and well-being of our students as our investigation continues and expect there will be reparations that are suitable to the damage caused to our school community."
Nantucket Public Schools said it was considering a student forum to allow students to process the incident and talk about what can be done in the future to prevent "incidents of racial discrimination within our schools and beyond."
It's unclear if the students will be disciplined. The district's statement didn't say what school the students attended.
