Moore County students receive death threats after years-old video surfaces showing them using n-word

SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. (WTVD) -- What you post on the internet can come back to haunt you. Two Moore County students learned that the hard way after a video they made years ago using the "n-word" resurfaced online -- leading to death threats against them.

The girls were students at Southern Middle School at the time of the video but they're now students at Pinecrest High School. A parent of one of the girls spoke exclusively to ABC11.

"People are now making threats and posting bonds on her head," said Jack Meany.

The video of Meany's daughter showed her and her friend spouting the "n-word". Meany said that's not how his daughter was raised.

"No, we're not a racist family. We don't see things that way. We see people as people," Meany said.

Meany said the video was apart of a longer lip-syncing clip-on TikTok, a social media platform allowing users to make short music, dance and comedy videos.

The original video was recorded in 2017 but surfaced in November 2018. As a result, the two girls were kicked off of the cheerleading squad. Meany regrets that his daughter wasn't given an opportunity to apologize to fellow students at Southern Middle School then.

Meanwhile, the video went viral on social media over the weekend with many calling for Pinecrest High School to punish the girls again.

"They both learned from that and now it keeps coming up all the time," said Meany. "We went through a big deal with her about the fact not only was the song something she should be looking at in the first place or using that word at any time. It's unacceptable."

Pinecrest High School Principal Stefanie Phillips sent the following statement to ABC11:

"As stated in the district's student code of conduct, Moore County Schools expects its students to demonstrate respect for themselves and others, in their dress, decorum and interactions with others. The use of racial slurs and other forms of racial harassment by and among students is strictly prohibited.

This video initially surfaced in November 2018. It was not produced on school property, nor was it produced during school hours or in conjunction with a school-sponsored activity. While federal law does not permit us to reveal specific consequences for student misconduct, I can state that the administration took swift, appropriate, and serious steps to address this issue at that time.

This incident presents another opportunity for us to reinforce our firm expectations that students will treat each other with respect and civility in all their interactions and will refrain from all forms of racial harassment. It is also an important reminder that in the age of social media, photos and videos that our students post to social media channels never truly go away and can come back time and again months and even years later. We implore all students to "think before they post" and to treat others with respect and civility at all times."

It's a lesson Meany says his daughter learned the hard way.

"Don't do it unless you don't care if anyone out there ever hears it. Because anything you do is out there," said Meany.