PLEASANT VIEW, Utah – A video of five Utah students recorded last year has since gone viral, and some of the girls in the video are receiving death threats, according to KSTU.
“It was not filmed at the school, nor was it related to any school function or activity. The students were on a trip outside of school on their own personal time,” the Weber School District said in a press release – the second press release of the day related to the video, which has gained national attention.
The girls from Weber High School were believed to be saying gibberish words into an app. They recorded a phrase that when played backwards sounded like a racial slur, district officials wrote.
"A year after the video was made, one of the girls shared it on a social media platform as a private post. It was viewed by other students who then reposted it to other social media sites," the statement said.
Weber School District is investigating the situation to determine if the girls have violated the school's code of conduct in any way. If they are found to have violated any policy, the school will take, "appropriate disciplinary action," the press release said.
Weber School District acknowledged the seriousness of the situation, and the strong response it has gotten within the community and online. In their statement, they said:
We understand this is a very sensitive matter and it has invoked a lot of strong emotional response from people all over the world. There is no excuse for these girl’s action. With that being said, neither shouldn’t there be justification for threats toward them and their families. Hatred only breeds more hatred. These are teenagers who made a big mistake, and they will be held accountability (sic). Please be patient and reasonable as we deal with this situation.
The school district released another statement earlier Tuesday regarding the incident.
