Transgender student says he was targeted by students using hate speech at St. Johns County school

St. JOHNS County, Florida – After videos of a group of high school students hurling anti-gay slurs at fellow students at Bartram Trail High School, a spokesperson for the St. Johns County School District told News4Jax on Monday that the school was taking action.

“BTHS actively began investigating this situation on Friday and continues to do so today,” said SJCSD spokeswoman Christina Langston. “Everyone involved will receive consequences consistent with our Code of Student Conduct, Levels III and IV to be precise.”

MORE | Video shows St. Johns County students shouting anti-gay slurs at classmates

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The student who filmed the videos did not want to be identified except to say that he was a transgender student and was one of the targets of the group’s hate speech.

He told News4Jax that it all started after the last bell when the group of students started hoisting the Confederate flag symbols and shouting anti-gay slurs at members of the school’s Gay-Straight Alliance club.

“And we took out our phones and at that point they started yelling at them,” the student said. “But it appears they were harassing the group of LGBT kids before we arrived, because of the videos they took.”

The student’s mother, like others News4Jax spoke to, is calling on the school to take action.

“So that was very concerning for me. And what I would like to see happen is that I would like these boys to be punished for sure,” the parent said.

Langston said the district was working with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office Youth Resource Assistant to investigate Friday’s incident.

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“This behavior is not acceptable and is not representative of the culture and students of BTHS,” Langston said. “It is very disappointing that these students behaved in this way. “

The student who shot the video said he was no stranger to insults in the hallways, but the problem only seems to be getting worse.

“After seeing what happened on Friday, I feel a lot less safe than I already felt at school,” the student said. “Some of my friends have it worse than that. So, it really makes me feel worried about my friends and myself.

The district said that investigation started on Friday but was still ongoing.

The students said the school made an announcement Monday morning about Friday’s incident, saying hate speech would not be tolerated.

The definition of student infractions is set out in the district code of conduct:

Level III offenses are major acts of misconduct that the school board determines to be serious misconduct. They include repeated acts of Level II misconduct, serious disturbances in school order, and threats to the health, safety and property of others. A student who commits a Level III offense may also be subject to criminal prosecution.

Level IV misconduct is the most serious. All violations must be reported to the School Services Office. Penalties will include suspension and may include alternative school placement and / or expulsion and may be subject to referral to mental health services under Florida Law 1012.584 (4). A student who commits a Level IV offense may also be subject to criminal prosecution.

Code of Conduct for Students in the St. Johns County School District