Fairfax County School shuts down social media account used to bully LGBTQIA+ students
Officials at a school in Fairfax County have shut down a social media account they believe was being used to bully and harass LGBTQIA+ students.
BURKE, Virginia. – Officials at a school in Fairfax County have shut down a social media account they believe was being used to bully and harass LGBTQIA+ students.
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Braddock Lake High School
In a letter to the Lake Braddock High School community on Tuesday, principal David Smith said the school’s cybersecurity team took down the Instagram page that posted photos of students and used LGBTQIA+ slurs. .
Smith said the student responsible has been identified and disciplinary action will be taken.
“I am deeply troubled that a student at Lake Braddock thinks this is acceptable behavior,” Smith said in a statement. “This is not the kind of school community we seek to cultivate. Our shared vision at Lake Braddock emphasizes our commitment to developing students’ understanding of self and community with an emphasis on accountability , service, empathy, social-emotional learning, equity and inclusion.
“Every student at Lake Braddock has the right to feel safe and respected. I am meeting with members of our LGBTQIA+ student groups this week to listen, learn, and continue the dialogue around their experiences in our school community,” continued Smith.
The Pride Liberation Project, which describes itself as an LGBTQIA+ student-led coalition working to create safe and inclusive schools, posted images from the Instagram page.
The group is calling on Fairfax County Public School leaders to investigate the incident, take action against those responsible, and ensure support resources are available for the LGBTQIA+ student community.
