School has moved online. One black Old Rochester Regional student says insensitive and racist actions have moved online, too.

Jendell Teixiera cites a TikTok video posted by another student late on April 15 or just after midnight on April 16. He removed it an hour or two after posting. 

The video opens with a package of chicken, overlaid with text that asks for help frying it. After a rapid and disorienting series of flashing lights, it pans to the student peeling a banana with the text “now that the black people are here,” and then the question , “how’s my form?” as he offers the banana to the camera.

The student later apologized. But not until after Teixiera wrote a post on her personal Facebook: 

“We aren’t even in school and students at ORR are still finding ways to be racist. I’m so sick and tired of this, I’m over here trying to stop myself from throwing up.” 

Though the video was not directed at Teixiera or any other black student specifically, she urged others to take the video and what it represents seriously. 

“People wanna say it’s just a joke, but someone making a TikTok insinuating that black people are monkeys is not a joke to me. I’m literally trying to hold back the tears because after all the work we’ve put in to try and change things it’s still the same stuff,” Teixiera wrote. 

In February 2019, an athlete on the Old Rochester Regional/Fairhaven hockey team was accused of calling black Wareham athlete Quirino DoCanto the n-word during a game. Teixiera was one of four black students who rallied the community to stand with DoCanto after the incident. 

This time, she took action again, by bringing the post to Old Rochester Regional Principal Michael Devoll’s attention. 

“I find these posts reprehensible. Thank you for bringing to my attention. I can only imagine how hurtful this was. I’m glad he apologized,” Devoll wrote in response.

He declined to comment to Sippican Week on the issue because it involved student discipline.  

Teixiera said taking action on Facebook can force those who post racist or insensitive content to reconsider their actions. 

“I feel like my discipline for these students is more effective. I usually ‘expose’ them and make a long educating post on my social media that most of the school sees,” she said.