Two Georgia teens were expelled from their high school after using the n-word in a racist TikTok video.
The teens, Stephanie Freeman and her boyfriend Jeffrey Hume, recorded themselves “making” African Americans in a bathroom sink. “Ingredients” they deemed necessary to make a black person ranged from “[eating] watermelon and fried chicken” to not having a father. The ingredient they deemed the least necessary to their African American concoction was the ability to “make good choices.”
Other racist stereotypes the teens included in their video about black people included the tendency to “go to jail” and “rob people.” “Specifically whites,” Hume added in the video.
All of these “ingredients” were then poured onto a piece of paper marked with the n-word.
Although the video was uploaded to TikTok on Freeman’s account, it went viral on Twitter when posted by user @camden52801, an alleged classmate of the couple looking to expose them for their racism. “Okay I know this probably isn’t going to get a lot of views but I just thought I’d show everyone how racist the kids at my school are,” the user wrote. “The girl’s name is Stephanie Freeman and she’s a senior at Carrollton High School.” Later on the Twitter thread, @camden52081 revealed the boy in the video was Hume.
Since its posting on Thursday, the video has amassed about 8.7 million views on Twitter.
Shortly after the video went viral on Thursday, April 16th, Carrollton High School issued a statement saying they began investigating the racist TikTok video. In a message addressed to concerned and outraged parents, Superintendent Dr. Mark Albertus wrote on Twitter: “Please know this video is being addressed immediately and any student involved in the production of this video will face serious consequences. Carrollton City School’s top priority is the health and well-being of our students and this type of behavior will not be tolerated.”
On Friday, April 17th, Carrollton City School District—which Carrollton High School is a part of—announced Freeman and Hume had been expelled, without revealing their names. Because the couple violated the school district’s standard of respect for all people, “They are no longer students at Carrollton High School,” Albertus said in the announcement.
Albertus also noted that the views expressed in Freeman and Hume’s video do not reflect those of Carrollton City School District. “We are very proud of our diversity and so is our entire community,” Albertus said in the announcement. “We don’t need to lose sight of this important attribute because of the actions of a few.”
Freeman took to Instagram to apologize for the racist TikTok she posted. In an Instagram story, she wrote: “I want to apologize for the abhorrent video I posted. I know in my heart how wrong it was.” She also partially put the blame on her boyfriend, Hume, for her actions. “My bf (boyfriend) is racist and he slowly normalized his racism on me. Still, I should have never let him.”
Freeman not only apologized to those who found her video offensive but also to a higher power. “I believe blacks are human, too,” she added, “made in the image of Christ. I have disappointed God and I want to apologize.”
In her apology, Freeman also pleaded social media users to refrain from contacting the college she is to attend in the fall and to stop sending her death threats.
Still, in spite of Freeman’s apology, Twitter users remained unforgiving. Former Disney Channel star Skai Jackson tweeted on Friday that “y’all aren’t sorry for being racist, you are only sorry you got CAUGHT.”
Twitter user @Dnellicious ridiculed Freeman’s apology, posting screenshots of her Instagram story apology along with a meme asking her if she was serious. “Why did I cackle out loud at ‘I believe blacks are human too,'” the user captioned their post.
Freeman and Hume’s video is just one of the many racist TikToks circulating on Twitter. Another TikTok trend has users “baiting” black Americans with stereotypes to ask them how their “form” is as a cotton-picking slave.
WARNING: The video below contains language and material many may find offensive and/or upsetting.
Okay I know this probably isn’t going to get a lot of views but I just thought I’d show everyone how racist the kids at my school are. The girl’s name is Stephanie Freeman and she’s a senior at Carrollton High School. pic.twitter.com/jjsLtToSLH— Camden (@camden52801) April 17, 2020
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