The TikTok brand is seen on a cellphone on Oct. 14, 2022, in Boston. Michael Dwyer, Related Press
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox condemned a video circulating on social media Tuesday that depicts teenagers on the Cedar Metropolis Walmart carrying blackface and dressed as inmates, accompanied by at the very least one white individual carrying a police costume.
“We strongly condemn racism in all its kinds and we name on each Utahn to reject such offensive stereotypes, slurs and attitudes,” the governor stated in a press release. “We should do higher.”
The video was filmed in a Walmart in Cedar Metropolis on Halloween, in line with Cedar Metropolis Police Sgt. Justin Ludlow, who instructed the Deseret Information the division by no means responded to the incident, however is working with college useful resource officers at native faculties to determine the individuals within the video.
The useful resource officers will examine the video, Ludlow stated, including that except there was a bodily assault or verbal risk, the individuals within the video didn't do something unlawful.
In a separate assertion, the division stated “Cedar Metropolis Police Division and Cedar Metropolis officers don't condone the sort of exercise.”
The Iron County College District can also be investigating the incident. It stated in a press release it was “taking this matter severely” and “will take acceptable motion as soon as that investigation is full.”
“Based mostly on the data we've obtained, preliminary findings point out the people in blackface usually are not college students enrolled in Iron County faculties,” the assertion reads. “Our district and faculties promote inclusiveness and acceptance and denounce all types of discrimination and racism whether or not these actions are on campus or off campus, in individual or on-line.”
The video was initially uploaded to a personal TikTok account earlier than being broadly distributed on varied social media platforms. It exhibits three younger individuals with striped inmate costumes carrying blackface, who when approached by a girl filming, snicker off her considerations.
In the meantime, in Utah… pic.twitter.com/z882nIfOnp
— Juliet ❂ 🌸🌹🌻🇺🇦 (@saving_romeo) November 1, 2022
“Nicely, in the event you put it that manner,” says the girl dressed as a police officer at the start of the video.
“Do you guys perceive the implications of what you’ve simply completed?” a girl asks. “You guys are by no means going to get into a school, you guys usually are not going to get any scholarships, as a result of this can be a hate crime.”
“All of us dropped out of highschool, it’s OK,” responds one of many teenagers, not carrying a dressing up, to the tune of laughter from the kids carrying blackface.
“I nonetheless don’t assume it’s acceptable for you guys to be doing this. ... It’s actually not humorous,” the girl responds.
This story might be up to date.