Charleroi Area School District: 3 suspended after middle school confrontation

By JEFF STITT

jstitt@yourmvi.com

Charleroi Area School District is investigating after a video showing several middle school students “participating in acts of hate” against LGBTQIA+ students was shared on social media Tuesday.

Three students have been suspended 10 days as a result of the incident, Superintendent Dr. Ed Zelich told WTAE-TV, a news partner of the Mon Valley Independent.

“Recently a video was taken during middle school lunch break, outside in our amphitheater and distributed via social media,” Zelich wrote in a letter to the Charleroi Area community. “… Charleroi Area School District will not tolerate this type of behavior.”

WTAE-TV obtained a copy of the video and reported that it shows a group of students carrying a banner with the last name of former President Donald Trump and a banner depicting the Confederate flag while taunting a group of LGBTQIA+ students — who appear to be holding a rainbow pride flag — with offensive and vulgar names. 

In his letter, Zelich states the district is investigating and conducting a thorough examination of what happened. He also says the district will focus on what needs to be done to prevent it from taking place again.

“We understand that everyone wants answers. However, we want to make sure that we’ve done a thorough investigation so that we not only respond to the incident appropriately, but understand everything that led to it, making it possible,” the superintendent wrote. “This is so hard for everyone, myself included, but if we rush through an investigation, we may miss something. We want to learn enough to stop something like this from happening in the future.”

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