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NHCS investigating problematic 'SRO Appreciation Day' Facebook post

NHCS
/
WHQR
A social media post from the J.C. Roe Center account was deleted shortly afterward.

The post from the J.C. Roe Center account featured a Wilmington Police Department officer and a door 'decorated' with police tape and the word "help" written in a red substance, apparently some type of fake blood. A district spokesperson said the post, which has since been deleted, was "not in line with our values."

The message and images were posted on the Facebook account of the J.C. Roe Center, which serves as the New Hanover County Schools district's disciplinary facility for students serving short-term and long-term suspensions, as well as those students the district has decided are in need of a "transitional period" before returning to traditional school.

The post read in part, "This is how we started our SRO Appreciation day. A lil interior decorating [...] Well take a look at all the pics."

The photos attached showed a WPD officer standing next to a door, presumably the 'decorations' mentioned in the post. It is unclear what the intended purpose of the word "help" and the red smears on the door was.

An NHCS spokesperson said the district only became aware of the post after it was deleted and is currently investigating the matter.

"We are working to determine how this post was made and what actions need to be taken to prevent something like this from happening in the future," the spokesperson said. "We want to make it clear that the content of the post is not in line with our values as a district."

Ben Schachtman is a journalist and editor with a focus on local government accountability. He began reporting for Port City Daily in the Wilmington area in 2016 and took over as managing editor there in 2018. He’s a graduate of Rutgers College and later received his MA from NYU and his PhD from SUNY-Stony Brook, both in English Literature. He loves spending time with his wife and playing rock'n'roll very loudly. You can reach him at BSchachtman@whqr.org and find him on Twitter @Ben_Schachtman.