An Owensboro Catholic High School student was heard making a disparaging remarks about Native Americans on a viral video taken at a Washington DC march. The student was captured saying “land gets stolen, that’s how it works. It’s the way of the world,” during an Indigenous People’s March at the Lincoln Memorial this weekend. School officials say he is remorseful for the statement and the pain it caused. He was among several Kentucky students involved in a confrontation with a Native American marcher.
Our media partner, 14 News, reports:
OWENSBORO, KY (WFIE) – A video out of Washington DC has put a an Owensboro Catholic High School student in the national spotlight.
That student was captured on video saying, “land gets stolen, that’s how it works. It’s the way of the world,” during an Indigenous People’s March.
14 News received a statement from Owensboro Catholic President Tom Lilly on Sunday that said, “We were obviously very distressed at the comments made by the Owensboro Catholic Student yesterday morning in a viral video. His parents were also very distressed and saddened by the remarks. Which one of us wants our worst moments as a 16-year-old broadcast on national media? The student does understand the weight and magnitude of the statement he made and is also expressing a great deal of remorse for the pain he has caused. By early Saturday afternoon, the Owensboro Catholic School System had already informed all faculty and staff that we needed to take full advantage of these distressing and terrible events to make them age-appropriate teaching moments for every classroom. As a Catholic Christian school, we should be held to a higher level of accountability, and we will meet that obligation. Humans judge each other by their actions and behaviors. They should. But every single person on the face of this earth makes mistakes and has significant lapses and errors of judgment. The character of a person or organization is what happens after these mistakes are made, and we will find ways to change the attitudes of our Catholic School Community through this terrible series of events.”
Most of the students in that video are from Covington Catholic High School, who has also released a statement saying, “The matter is being investigated and we will take appropriate action, up to and including expulsion.”
