BLM controversy erupts at Todd Beamer High School

Students at Federal Way’s Todd Beamer High School are at odds after an officer-involved incident led to a Black Lives Matter demonstration. Now some students are reportedly calling their classmates “racists.”

Seattle teachers organize Black Lives Matter demonstration

A group of moms reached out Tuesday to KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson Show to vent about tension at Todd Beamer High School. The details of what happened are murky — as can be the case when word spreads from person-to-person. But what is known is that a girl at the school got into a confrontation with either another student or school officials. Eventually, a school resource officer came to the scene and restrained the girl. At some point, the girl allegedly struck the officer — there are conflicting reports about whether this was an intentional slap or an accident as she flailed her arms. The officer placed the female student in handcuffs and she was led off campus after the disruption.

“She was definitely out of control,” said Angela, a mom of a Todd Beamer student.

Angela noted that there have been many conflicting accounts of what happened at the high school. But she believes the young girl was misbehaving, out of control, and that the officer acted appropriately. That officer has been removed from the school and reassigned, and the parents alleged it was over the incident.

The Dori Monson Show reached out to officials at Todd Beamer. A school representative responded by saying there are inaccuracies with the information being given to the show.

This is the school’s response:

From the tip that you provided, we would like to point out that categorically there is inaccuracy in the information that was shared about the incident that occurred last week at Todd Beamer High School. While the incident is under investigation by Federal Way Police Department, it is important that you know FWPS and the Federal Way Police Department have a strong partnership to ensure staffing meets the needs of our schools. It is a common practice for our organizations to reallocate resources on an ongoing basis to ensure high standards are met to ensure a safe, productive learning environment for all of our scholars.

Black Lives Matter at Todd Beamer

That was all last week. Things have taken a turn since then.

“The next thing we knew, our children were coming home telling us they needed to wear all black in support of the Black Lives Matter movement because of the incident,” Angela said, noting there was even an announcement on the school’s intercom about the demonstration. “I questioned my daughter, I said ‘I don’t understand how this is a race issue.’”

“It sounds like it was a child who was out of control, but somehow it turned into a race thing,” she said. “My daughter didn’t wear all black, she refused to do that. She didn’t believe this was a black or white issue, it was a disciplinary issue.”

Angela’s daughter wasn’t alone in her stance. Now, she and like-minded students are being called racists.

“And if the kids were not wearing them, they were bullied and ridiculed and called ‘racists,’” Angela said. “She was told she was racist because she doesn’t want to support the Black Lives Matter movement. And she said, ‘This has nothing to do with black or white, this is a kid that was disobedient.’”

“Some of the kids are afraid to speak out because they are afraid of what would happen,” Angela added. “The school bus drivers had chaos on their buses on this day – kids were being yelled at because they weren’t wearing stickers … What it boils down to is that this girl misbehaved, and it had nothing to do with her race. (My daughter) feels like it’s being forced down her throat and if she doesn’t buy it, or drink the Kool-Aid, then she’s racist.”

Listen to the full interview with Angela above.

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