Officials at a Kentucky school district say they received threats of violence targeting staff and students after a video taken over a month ago on school grounds has reappeared online, drawing millions of views on X.
The video depicts a group of teens who appear to be fighting at Holmes High School. Covington Independent Public Schools said in an Oct. 14 Facebook statement the video was taken on or about Aug. 31. As of Oct. 14, it has amassed over 7 million views in a post by a conservative political commentator on X.
The post, made by Ireland-based social media creator Michael McCarthy, alleges in the caption that a “group of black boys” assaulted “two young white girls” while recording the incident at “Holmes & Woodland High School in Covington Kentucky.”
There is no Woodland High School in the Covington district, although there is a Woodland Middle School in Northern Kentucky’s Taylor Mill.
Covington police said the incident did in fact occur at Holmes High School, part of Covington Independent Public Schools. But the people involved were not all students from the district, according to the district’s statement. In addition, the incident was not during any school-sponsored event or during school hours, the district said.
In a clip that appears to be filmed by a boy in the group, the individuals can be seen kicking and slapping a girl lying on the ground as she repeatedly says “get off” and “stop.” A second girl then appears to lie on the ground as one boy says, “it’s your turn.”
The first girl shown can be seen at the end of the video getting up then briefly walking away and screaming something unintelligible at the person recording.
The text “What would you do if this was your daughter?” is pasted over the video.
Investigation into incident captured on viral video is ongoing
The Northern Kentucky school district says the video, brought to its attention in September, appears to have been taken by individuals on school grounds who were not authorized to be there.
Names of the suspects and victims in the video have not been released because they are juveniles and an investigation into the incident is ongoing, police said. Charges have not yet been filed in relation to the event.
In September, Covington Schools conducted an internal investigation and followed the processes outlined in its student code of conduct, including notifying law enforcement and initiating student disciplinary actions, the district said.
Covington police said the event came to its attention in an incident report Sept. 5.
District, police speak out on viral circulation of video
The district said in its Oct. 14 statement that the resurgence of the video on social media has “interrupted regular school operations, as there have been unwarranted threats of violence directed at the school, staff and students.” It did not elaborate.
“Covington Schools asks that members of the public please respect the privacy of our students and staff, and refrain from causing further disruption to the educational environment. Lastly, and perhaps most important – any threats will be referred to the appropriate law enforcement agency for further action,” the district stated.
Regarding the viral nature of the video, Covington’s public information officer Justin Bradbury said the clip is “not the full picture of what’s happened and things are getting overblown.”
McCarthy’s viral X post has garnered thousands of comments, some calling for extreme, race-based violence against the boys in the video and others claiming the events depicted are part of a skit. Other social media users, specifically those based in Covington, said in the comments of the district’s Facebook statement that the viral nature of the clip amounts to “outsider opinions.”
It’s unclear which social media account first shared the video. But the clip has made the rounds through several social media channels unaffiliated with the district nor the city of Covington, including by McCarthy and DeQuincey RaShun Wilson, a New York-based digital creator on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Viral video of Holmes High School in Kentucky results in threats
