St Stephen’s College says it has taken disciplinary action against a Form Two student who was caught on camera making threatening and racist remarks last month.
The video, recorded by another student on the school grounds in Princes Town, went viral on social media, sparking outrage among users. Parents told Guardian Media that the school immediately took action by summoning the boy’s parent to the school and suspending him and the student who recorded the video. A statement from the school’s board of management stated it apologised for the recent video. The board assured that it fully investigated the matter and implemented appropriate measures to avoid a recurrence. It said the incident brought shame and pain to all stakeholders locally, regionally, and internationally.
“The recent video which has been circulating showed a student making negative and derogatory expressions about one segment of the population, has brought the college into public odium. This conduct in no way reflects the teaching and ethos of the Anglican Church, the management of the college, its stakeholders, and the student body.
“St Stephen’s College is one of the most diverse institutions in our national landscape and reflects the words of our national anthem: Here every creed and race find an equal place,” the statement read.
The board said the college is about spiritual and academic development and the formation of good character. It asked the public not to judge the school by “this singular incident”, and said it is committed to fostering a spirit of mutual respect, understanding, character formation and goodwill among the student population.
“We will continue to promote and reinforce the above watchwords to our students to avoid future recurrence, and we will do all in our power to bring transformation to the offending student.