Racial Remarks in a High School Essay: A Case Study

This case study discusses a high school student who made racial remarks towards African Americans in an essay. The study explores the 5W's of the incident, the issues and situations involved, and the relief sought. Subject: English Literature

Running head: ENGLISH LITERATURE
ENGLISH LITERATURE
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ENGLISH LITERATURE
FACTS
As per the recent study, a high school student in Maryland was given a task to write an
satirical essay on Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal." However, that student from the North
County High School wrote a racist statement towards the African-American people, not just in
the novel but the overall community. There the responsibility to save the student, legally, some
legal methods were applied.
THE 5W's
WHO
The study focuses on the student who used his racial remarks on the African American
Community. As per the study, the student was charged and the entire issue created a massive
attention through his essay and tweets.
WHAT
The matter that caused a stir in the society was a racial that the student mentioned in his
essay1. The comment was consider to distasteful and was a direct verbal attack to the African
Americans.
WHERE
The entire issue occurred at North County High School where the student wrote his
essay. It is at tis schools the laws and regulations are treated very seriously and thoroughly.
WHEN
1 Love, Adam, and Matthew W. Hughey. "Out of bounds? Racial discourse on college basketball message
boards." Ethnic and racial studies 38, no. 6 (2015): 877-893.

2ENGLISH LITERATURE
The student was given the responsibility of writing a satirical essay that were initially
supposed to address the work of Jonathan Swift2. It is during this time the student made this
comment.
WHY
The reason for this comment is due to the fact that that was made by the student in regard
to his own feeling towards racism 3. It can be possible that he hates the culture or just because he
was able to relate to the "A Modest Proposal" on a very personal level that made him.
ISSUES
The issues that were involved include the lack of respect towards other culture. However
it can be possible that the student could have misinterpreted the requirement of the essay for that
he wrote a message of hatred towards the African-Americans4. The rules, laws, policies and
regulations would suggest the reason for his remarks against the culture.
SITUATIONS
The situation explains that the understanding of the student has been towards the
negative insights towards the whole text. It is not sure whether the student meant his statement
towards the African-American community has a direct verbal assault or whether he had some
2 McDermott, Kathryn A., Erica Frankenberg, and Sarah Diem. "The “post-racial” politics of race: Changing student
assignment policy in three school districts." Educational Policy29, no. 3 (2015): 504-554.
3 Rudd, Tom. "Racial disproportionality in school discipline." Kirwan Institute for the Study (2014).
4 Morris, Edward W., and Brea L. Perry. "The punishment gap: School suspension and racial disparities in
achievement." Social Problems 63, no. 1 (2016): 68-86.

3ENGLISH LITERATURE
other problems, however racism is something that is a problem. However it should also be noted
that the student made the comment on an essay rather than exploiting it in the internet5.
Therefore the news was exploited by external people.
RELIEFT SOUGTH
With the above discussion in place and from my perspective, racism is not tolerable in
any kind of medium6. Despite it is the reason due to some cultural clash, still as racism is a
crime, the student should be penalized and give a strict warning in regards to his actions.
SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT
Therefore it can be said that the report is directed towards the student has his actions
about his racial comments7. The discussion points that the factors involved as making a racial
comment is unethical however for the student's defense, it is unclear that whether he did not
understood his question or he made this comment purposefully.
5 Hope, Elan C., Alexandra B. Skoog, and Robert J. Jagers. "“It’ll Never Be the White Kids, It’ll Always Be Us”
Black High School Students’ Evolving Critical Analysis of Racial Discrimination and Inequity in Schools." Journal
of Adolescent Research 30, no. 1 (2015): 83-112.
6 Picower, Bree, and Edwin Mayorga. "What's Race Got to Do with It?: How Current School
Reform Policy Maintains Racial and Economic Inequality." (2015).
7 Hollins, Etta R. Culture in school learning: Revealing the deep meaning. Routledge, 2015.