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Students Banding Together After Essay Sparks Racial Tension

GLEN BURNIE, Md. (WJZ) -- Racial tensions are running high at an Anne Arundel County high school following a controversial essay that's gone viral. Now the school system and civil rights leaders are taking action.

Meghan McCorkell has the latest twist.

Extra staff has been brought into North County High School in Glen Burnie, where that controversial student essay went viral.

Students at North County High School--some wearing red--band together after a student essay sparks racial tension.

"A lot of tension in the school. A lot of people are mad about what he said," said Kevin Novak, student.

"It was disrespectful and he shouldn't have posted it," another student said.

RELATED: Md. Student's Essay Tackling Racism Sparks Controversy

The assignment was to write a satirical essay mimicking Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal," which suggested eating babies as a fix for famine.

The student's satire about racism that was posted online suggests sending African-Americans to a desert to be killed.

"This student's subject certainly though was insensitive and ill-advised, and as we said, stoked a lot of concern," said Bob Mosier, Anne Arundel County Schools.

A Twitter page linked to that student is also sparking concern. One tweet reads: "Killing black people is like saying [the N-word], they do it all the time, but get pissed when white people do it."

student tweet

"School's should be about building bridges, not creating walls," said Carl Snowden, Caucus of African-American Leaders.

Snowden says his group has heard from a number of concerned parents.

"Our teachers standing in the classroom trying to teach people about satire should also understand that there's a balance between satire and offensive behavior," he said.

WJZ has obtained multiple letters the school system has sent home to parents. School officials say they've held a number of meetings with students.

"This is a school that rallies around itself. This is a school, that, traditionally, when it has had difficulty and strife, students have banded together," Mosier said.

And they hope to make this a teachable moment.

RELATED: Principal Sends Letter To Parents After Student Essay Controversy

In a letter sent home to parents Thursday, the principal says she plans to form a student advisory group and meet with community stakeholders.

School officials won't say it the student who wrote the essay faces any disciplinary action.

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