By Marlene Dolla
Some Mechanicsville High School seniors plan to turn their backs when the valedictorian and salutatorian speak during the school’s Saturday’s graduation ceremony. This is following an online movement in the days preceding the ceremony where some students agreed to silently protest several online comments they consider to be racist, homophobic and misogynist posted by this year’s top students.
One such posting, reviewed by this reporter, shows a screenshot of a rap song with numerous n-word references posted by the student identified as this year’s valedictorian.
Another posting by the student identified as this year’s salutatorian says: “Realistically is anyone in our school wife material… Cause I can think of like maybe 5 tops and there’s like 1200 people at our school.”
The student identified as valedictorian responds to this comment in the affirmative: “I can also only think of 5” and mentions how girls are only “f***able…” [the four letter word for sex with no strings attached]. “But we’re all good Christians, so that’s not happening.” In another instance, this student posts about “homof*g canceling”, using the f-word used to degrade gay people. The context of this post is however not clear.
The Legacy is not identifying the students by name as they may be minors.
“We are aware of the screenshots – dated from 2022 – that have recently been circulated,” Chris Whitley, Hanover County Public Schools assistant superintendent of community engagement and legislative affairs said in a statement emailed to The Legacy following a request for comment

Whitley did not identify the students, or if they still have their roles in tomorrow’s graduation ceremony.
“Although we are prohibited by state and federal law, as well as School Board Policy, from disclosing information about specific student matters, we can share our general approach regarding similar situations,” noted Whitley. “As you might expect, with any allegation of student misconduct, school administration would promptly and fully investigate the allegations, even those which are alleged to occur outside of school hours in certain limited circumstances.
“Upon the conclusion of the investigation and thorough assessment of the facts, any applicable discipline would be administered in accordance with the Code of Student Conduct.
The student encouraging other students to protest is using the username “ibdiscordgate” on the social media platform Instagram and has noted how “embarrassed and disgusted” they are “that these people have been given a platform and time to speak at our graduation.” The unidentified student also notes that the students identified as valedictorian and salutatorian have “completely and utterly bullied their classmates with racial slurs and sexist insults” over their high school careers.
“If only Hanover County Public Schools and Mechanicsville High School put a fraction of the effort they have [put into] deleting people’s comments to silence students bringing awareness to this, into silencing the openly racist boys speaking and representing our school,” notes ibdiscordgate. “This is a common theme for MHS, repeatedly sweeping acts of racism, misogyny and homophobia by its students under the rug and continually uplifting the wrong people.”

A Mechanicsville High School rising senior who is only being identified by her first name and last initial, said she thinks the school has responded “poorly” to the students’ concerns regarding the alleged racist, misogynistic and homophobic posts.
“They [school system] are deleting comments,” alleged Elizabeth J. about comments posted on the issue on the school system’s social media accounts. “But I think students are doing a great job responding to the situation and shedding a light on it.”
The Hanover County chapter of the national civil rights organization, NAACP,  this week also weighed in on the controversy by responding to a parent’s request for advice on how to protest.
“Our request to students has been ‘If they decide they want to protest, which is their right, they should not be disrespectful but to stand quietly with their backs turned. They should not yell or scream but stand quietly.'” said Patricia Hunter-Jordan, president of the Hanover County NAACP.
“We do not want graduation ceremonies to be destroyed for everyone because of those who will be speaking.”
Hunter-Jordan noted in her emailed statement to The Legacy that Hanover has been resistant to the group’s request to not allow the mentioned students to speak.

“The two young men in question have been allowed to go through Hanover schools without any consequences for these actions,” noted Hunter-Jordan. “I feel sorry for their lack of understanding of all people in our society, and wish they would have been educated about humanity.
Hunter-Jordan shared what happened during a past county school board meeting where a parent spoke about their child wanting to drop out of advanced studies classes because of the alleged actions of one of these students who is scheduled to speak at the graduation ceremony. 
“The teacher had no control over this student and the remaining students suffered because of his actions,” noted Hunter-Jordan. “Was he removed? No, the remaining students had to suffer at his expense. 
The group notes that the school system has made it so that students like the two identified as the 2024 valedictorian and salutatorian that their actions have no consequences.
“The Hanover School Board did two things that allow our students to believe this type of behavior is ok,” noted Hunter-Jordan. “They decided our Equity committee was unnecessary and then proceeded to remove the word equity from all of our school policy. Our Board of Supervisors did the same with county policy and removed all references to equity.
Additionally, noted Hunter-Jordan, that while the Hanover County Public School’s code of conduct has a category for bullying, it is not enforced as it should be, especially when racial remarks are observed.
“Teachers don’t report the comments so the students receive no corrective actions for their behavior,” explained Hunter-Jordan, who noted that posts, such as the ones in question, along with bullying incidents happen “daily” at Hanover schools.

“Teachers don’t report the comments so the students receive no corrective actions for their behavior,” explained Hunter-Jordan, who noted that posts, such as the ones in question, along with bullying incidents happen “daily” at Hanover schools.
“We have asked for training when students say these things in school and that the student be provided a lesson on this type of discrimination,” noted Hunter-Jordan. “It appears they are given detention and that is it.
“I have spoken to many of the county’s principals when issues such as this arise. It is not just students making comments such as this, we have addressed issues with teachers using discriminatory language.”
For its part, the county schools spokesperson said the administration “hopes” Saturday’s “ceremonies will honor the efforts and accomplishments of all students, as well as be a joyful occasion for the thousands of family members and friends who will be in attendance.”
The student with the handle “ibdiscordgate” says the actions of the students identified as valedictorian and salutatorian “will live with the victims for the rest of their lives and their actions will be remembered by most everyone in the class of 2024.”