Student no longer attending Trinity High School following racist social media post

This story is local to me. "A photo posted to social media showed a boy and a girl standing behind a handwritten sign with a variation of the phrase, “If I was Black I would be picking cotton but I’m White so I’m picking you for homecoming.” So it was a variation of the phrase, you see. I hope the kid learns from this, but I suspect he will sign-up with the Proud Boys now. [wmur.com]

"A student who was seen on an Instagram post with a racist poster referencing slavery is no longer a student at Trinity High School.

In a statement sent Saturday morning, Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Dioceses of Manchester Dr. David Thibault said privacy prevents from providing certain information, but said that the individual is no longer a student at Trinity High School.

The statement also said that there is a narrative that is baseless of a rumor of a "one-day suspension" and allowing the student to continue participating athletics is not true and never has been.

News 9 has opted not to show the Instagram post depicting a former Trinity High School boy posing with a girl, along with the racist sign referencing slavery.

"The sentiment expressed in that photo has no place in our community," said Dr. Thibault in the statement.

School president Nathan Stanton said the picture was taken a few weeks ago out of state but was brought to his attention Thursday afternoon. He did not go into detail about repercussions for the student involved, but he said Trinity has a no-tolerance policy and that swift action was taken.

"We actually escorted the student out of the school at the end of the day, before school ended, and we met as a team and met with the diocese, and I would say within two hours, we made a decision and contacted the family," Stanton said.

Stanton said the girl in the photo does not go to Trinity. He said the focus is on supporting students.

One student who asked to remain anonymous said seeing the post circulate made her feel angry and hurt.

"It's terrible. It's terrible," she said. "I shouldn't have to go to school, go throughout my day and then see someone who I pass in the halls or pass at lunch post something like this. It hurts. And it's like, OK, so that's what you think of me.'"

"We view everything that we do in our Catholic schools through the Catholic lens, and so Catholic teaching tells us that students – all people – are created in the likeness of God," said Alison Mueller, director of marketing for the Diocese of Manchester. "And because they’re created in the image and likeness of God, they have inherent dignity and inherent values. So, when things like this happen, as unfortunate and uncommon as they are, it’s an opportunity for all of us to do some work with our students."

In a letter to the Trinity community, Stanton said there have been external violent threats made against the high school, so out of an abundance of caution, they are canceling all scheduled sporting events this weekend."