Charges filed against a Huntley High School student for posting racially-motivated messages on social media
HUNTLEY—On April 26, the Huntley Police Department issued a press release regarding reports of racially-motivated messages found to be shared through social media by a single Huntley High School student.
According to Huntley Police, last week, the Huntley High School Resource Officer and administrative staff were notified of a racially insensitive video and threatening messages being shared with other students through social media.
The initial investigation revealed that the posts were originally sent earlier in the year by an individual, however, they were recirculated last week among students.
“While this matter is still under investigation, the Huntley Police Department has been in contact with the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office regarding charges,” stated Huntley Police Deputy Chief Linda Hooten via the press release.
Multiple felony charges have been recently approved for the single student who will be petitioned into juvenile court.
In accordance to the Illinois State Statute regarding the confidentiality of juvenile law enforcement records, no further information is expected to be released due to the age of those involved.
“The Huntley Police Department takes these matters seriously and those participating in such conduct will be held accountable. We will continue to work closely with school officials on issues that impact the safety of all students and staff within the Village of Huntley,” added Hooten.
In a message to students and their families, Huntley High School Principal Marcus Belin stated that upon further investigation, no active threat to the safety of students or staff was found.
“Currently, we are working to gather as much information as possible in order to move forward with the appropriate steps to keep our students safe and confront the root cause of this behavior. Our team is in contact with the parents of those affected students and will continue to provide updates to those impacted families,” said Belin.
While families may be wondering what the school’s next steps to the matter will be, Belin explained that he is unable to share specific information related to the student discipline process within Huntley High School due to federal law.
“I also want to tell you that this situation has not only had an impact on me as a black leader in our district but as a parent of black students in our district. As a parent and community member, I am more than a principal. I am a father with three children in the district,” stated Belin in his message. “While this situation has and will continue to evoke many emotions, I truly believe that the work we are doing within our school is directed at giving students a voice and embracing the individuality of EACH of our students. EVERY student deserves to be valued, celebrated, and recognized for who they are and I can confidently say that our staff is committed to this work.”
Despite the district not being able to share further details of any matters of student discipline, Belin assured that the incident is being taken with the highest level of seriousness.
“Our discipline process will follow the policies outlined in our student handbook and approved by our Board of Education. If you or a student need additional support or would like to discuss this matter further with a school administrator, please reach out to us at 847-659-6600,” said Belin.
