ROYAL OAK, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Students who started an Instagram page promoting a chapter of Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA at Royal Oak Schools were bombarded with profanities and comments including a death threat, being lynched and being accused of being white supremacists and terrorists.
State Sen. Aric Nesbitt, R-Porter Township, posted screenshots on Facebook of some of the comments made on the Instagram page. Nesbitt’s office said the students’ Turning Point USA Instagram page has since been taken down because it was flooded with false policy violation reports.
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One Instagram account posted, ” … you’re gonna get kirked tmr”
Another Instagram account stated “f*** a walk out let just lynch this [racial slur] bro”
Many of the critics with Instagram accounts had accounts that identified them by name.
“It’s super cool that a white supremacist and anti-lgbtq organization is going to launch at my black daughter’s school,” said one Royal Oak parent. “I always knew that moving her to a high Ami predominantly white community would be dangerous, but I didn’t think it would be this. I sincerely hope the school reconsiders allowing this terrorism in school.”
Many of the comments were from people who identified themselves as parents of Royal Oak students.
“As an ROHS parent – this is disgraceful,” another Royal Oak mother posted. “I’m not sending my kids to school to learn to hate.”
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“We know what they stand for, and so we have to shut it down before they start to bring people to speak at these events,” another Instagram account stated.
Nesbitt, who is running for governor, blamed the Royal Oak school district for creating an atmosphere that allowed such comments.
“The fact that students feel so comfortable threatening and harassing their peers, simply for a having different opinions, is a damning indictment of the educational environment Royal Oak Schools have created,” Nesbitt said on Facebook. “It’s time to get the woke mentality OUT of our classrooms.”
“This open hostility toward conservative thought in our public schools is unacceptable. The leadership of Royal Oak Schools must be held accountable for allowing an environment where students feel so emboldened to harass and threaten their peers over political opinions,” Nesbitt continued. “It is utterly disgraceful that grown adults, allegedly including parents, have become so consumed by political rage that they are harassing minors and encouraging the harassment of their own kid’s classmates.”
Royal Oak Schools had a statement after Michigan News Source reach out for comment:
“We are aware of the statement issued by Michigan State Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, as well as the images he has shared online. Royal Oak Schools takes the safety of our students seriously; however, we cannot regulate the free speech rights of students. Neither our students nor staff have reported any incidents to the administration of violence of any sort, but we will continue to monitor this situation and remain committed to maintaining a safe, inclusive, and productive learning environment for every student. Should any student engage in conduct inconsistent with the mission of Royal Oak Schools, as outlined in the Student Code of Conduct and applicable Board of Education policies/guidelines, the District will take appropriate action in accordance with those guidelines.”