By Genesis Lemus//
The College has begun investigating an incident in which two participants used derogatory and racist language in a virtual trivia game hosted by Circle K on Wednesday.
Disparaging and racist comments about George Floyd were made first over the microphone by one participant and later were put into the chat by another participant.
Hood’s Public Safety and Information Technology teams immediately began an investigation.
Indications are that the participants were not Hood College students and that the Zoom gathering might have been hacked by outsiders.
However, with Hood’s Zero Tolerance Policy, if it’s found that those involved were Hood students, they will be expelled from the college, President Andrea Chapdelaine said.
“I want to assure you that I take these matters very seriously,” Chapdelaine said in an email to the Hood community. “I am deeply troubled and hurt on behalf of our students who had to witness such vile language and for all students, whether present or not, who felt targeted and unsafe, and who are already bearing the heavy toll of racial injustice.”
The event hosted by Hood’s Circle K International Club was a Kahoot trivia game where students had a chance to win Amazon gift cards.
Circle K immediately addressed the situation via Instagram, “Circle K deeply apologizes for the incident that occurred during our virtual programming tonight,” club officials said. “What was said tonight is in no way representative of Circle K’s values.”
Hood student and Circle K President Caroline Jeranek said, “All participants that used such language were kicked out of the Zoom and the chat was disabled.”
She added, “I was deeply saddened that students had to experience this.”
Students who feel unsafe on campus or need someone to talk to can reach out to Dean Olivia White, Rev. Beth O’Malley, Chief Thurmond Maynard or any of the senior staff.
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