Officials say racist tweet attributed to Arizona high school seniors is 'absolutely unacceptable'

Credit: Joshua Hoehne/Unsplash

Credit: Joshua Hoehne/Unsplash

Desert Vista High School is once again in the spotlight for racist behavior, according to local news reports.

KPNX reported that the Phoenix school is at the center of controversy because of a tweet attributed to a senior prank at the school.

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According to KPNX, a tweet from a protected Twitter account called Desert Vista Senior Prank and the username @real2019prank read, "ATTENTION ALL SENIORS: New senior prank will be happening next Monday morning at 7:30 in the parking lot. We will be acting like the front gate is the border into Mexico. We will have cops searching cars, window washers, and people selling tortillas and…"

Jennifer Liewer, executive director of community relations at Tempe Union High School District, said officials don’t know who wrote the post. Officials with the school district began investigating when they learned of the tweet Thursday.

KNXV reported that the Tempe Union High School District sent a notice to parents that referred to the tweet as "insensitive and thoughtless and absolutely unacceptable."

"We will continue communicating with seniors about our expectations regarding senior pranks and behavior related to graduation," the notice said, according to KNXV.

"The post was absolutely inappropriate. It was not representative of the class of 2019 at Desert Vista," Liewer told KPNX.

The account now results in a message from Twitter that says, "Sorry, that page doesn't exist!"

Liewer told KNXV the tweet was deleted and the account was taken down.

The school said it does not sponsor the reported Twitter account and the prank won’t be happening.

In 2016, the school suspended six female students who wore T-shirts spelling out  racial slur, KPNX reported. A photo of the students spelling out the slur quickly spread online.

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