Thread by @BlueDotCitizen

@cnnbrk #CovingtonCatholic I saw the 90 min video yesterday. Yes, kids were riled up by the “preacher” but there was no need to be in Mr. Phillips’ face & the chanting & chopping is reflective of the school’s historical attitudes, which a little research would clearly show.

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There are numerous anecdotes on social media of intense bullying of anyone “different” to the point where students have had to leave the school. There is apparently a tradition of basketball fans in *full blackface* coming onto the court to mock & harass opposing black

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players who are inbounding the ball.

With that long time school ethos as context, it is hard to see the “face off” with Mr. Phillips as an innocent attempt to settle things down.

Certainly, either way the supervising adults needed to have inserted themselves into the

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situation & the fact that they didn’t, either then or by moving the kids away from the “preacher” earlier, is evidence of tacit approval of the tribal behaviours exhibited & of disrespect of Mr. Phillips.

In short, this is an almost entirely white private school for boys

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that exhibits exactly the kinds of privileged “boys will be boys” attitudes that were the focus of attention during the Kavanaugh hearings.

I’m not sure who besides @CNN they think they are kidding, but it’s not me.