Wake County high school student claims racial bullying

RALEIGH, NC (WTVD) -- The father of an Enloe High School student told ABC11 that his son was the victim of racial bullying after a multi-high school swim meet at the Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary.

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A.J. Johnson said his son, who is African-American, is a swimmer for Enloe and that after a swim meet on December 18 he went into the locker room at the aquatic center to change.

As he walked in, Johnson's son encountered several white swimmers from Millbrook High School who had just won the swim meet, his father told ABC11.

"There were four or five Millbrook High School athletes standing naked with their hands over their private parts rapping to a song with the 'N' word repeatedly in it," Johnson told ABC11.

After the group stopped singing, his son claimed one of the Millbrook swimmers approached him as he was changing.

Johnson said, "The leader of the pack 'chest-bruh'd' him. 'Whacha gonna do?'"

He said the swimmer walked away but the slurs continued.

"As my son changed he heard someone calling him (the 'N' word) twice," Johnson said.

A man and woman who claimed to be the parents of one of the accused Millbrook swimmers told ABC11 outside the Triangle Aquatic Center on Friday afternoon that they were told the matter was fully investigated by Millbrook High School officials and found to be false.

But the Wake County Public School System seemed to confirm the incident when it sent this statement to ABC11.

"In December, a student from Enloe High School told Enloe High School Administration that an incident of bullying had occurred in a boys locker room. Enloe High School administration contacted the Millbrook High School administration. Both schools immediately began an investigation.

Throughout the investigation Enloe High School has been in contact with the Enloe student's family. The last update provided to the family was that disciplinary consequences had been administered. In addition, students from Millbrook's swim team issued a letter of apology to Enloe High School."

Lisa Luten, communications director for Wake County Public schools said late Friday that statement stands for now but that he would look into what the Millbrook parents told ABC 11.

In the meantime, Johnson said his family has not been contacted by anyone in the Wake County Public School System about what was in the statement sent to ABC11.

"I learned that last night these athletes were swimming in a swim meet in which Millbrook High School athletes were participating," he said.

When asked if it was possible the students were suspended for one or more swim meets since December 18, Johnson responded, "All of that's possible, but we have not been informed one way or the other."