Kiana Aviles was not feeling safe at her high school on Thursday after reports that several white students walked through the hallways Wednesday shouting "white power" while carrying Donald Trump signs.
Aviles, a senior at York County School of Technology in York, texted her parents Thursday to come pick her up. She was among the students leaving the high school midday concerned about their safety as rumors spread across social media.
"This is not something that usually happens here," Aviles said. "This is crazy."
As they streamed out of the school midday on Thursday, dozens of students and parents reported a tense situation at the school. The situation began on Wednesday after several white students walked through hallways with Donald Trump campaign signs shouting "white power" and threatening violence.
A video of the incident was posted on Facebook and swiftly spread across other social media platforms. Many parents said they learned of the situation from the social media posts – not administrators.
Aviles, who is Hispanic, said she had been at lunch on Wednesday when several students began chanting "white power." She said other white students spit in the face of minority students.
"This is not normal," she said. "This is rare."
A ninth-grader, Atayshia, who did not want to give her last name, said she witnessed fighting in the cafeteria and white students yelling that they were going to "deport Mexicans back to Mexico and blacks back to Africa."
Atayshia, who is biracial, said one students yelled at her that she should be deported "back to Africa."
"I just said 'I'm not from Africa,'" she said.
Another student, who also only wanted to be identified by his first name, Yusef, said he was uncomfortable at the school.
Yusef, a student at York County School of Technology, on Thursday said he felt unsafe at school after white students threatened violence and shouted racist remarks. "It's not safe," said Yusef, who is black. "I don't feel safe."
Students said the high school does not have metal detectors.
Yusef's mother said she rushed to the school to collect her son and daughter the minute she received a text from them about the situation at the school.
"I dropped everything," said Tai, who is black. She did not want to provide her last name. "My children should not have to tolerate something so sinister."
Tai said she was angry with administrators for not communicating more to parents about the situation.
School Director David Thomas said on Thursday afternoon that three students have been suspended as a result of the Trump sign and "white power shout," which was captured on surveillance video. A fourth suspension is possible, he said. However, Thomas said administrators and the school resource officer, who is a police officer, haven't been able to substantiate reports of subsequent incidents such as students being spit on.
PennLive earlier reported that York County Regional Police Lt. Tobin Zech said police were not aware of any physical scuffles or injuries. He said police investigated the incident on Wednesday, but found no crime was committed. Zech said the incident was "exaggerated" on social media. "We've investigated. We're monitoring it, but it hasn't risen to the level of police action at this point," he said
Students on Thursday, however, said there had been at least one melee in the school cafeteria, with "a lot of students" involved.
Shailynn Cornish, a 10th-grader, said that the reports circulating on social media about white students spitting minority students in the face were true. Cornish said students had also slashed the tires of at least one car in the parking lot.
"It's not usually like this here," Shailynn said. "It's because of the election. All these white people who are for Trump are going against all the blacks and Hispanics. They are going around shouting white power and being racists towards blacks. It's not safe. You are not comfortable."
Her mother, Jeleny Rivera, who came Thursday morning to collect her daughter, said she was disgusted with the situation and equally frustrated at the school's administration for failure to handle the situation appropriately.
Rivera said she first heard about the incidents via Facebook, as well as plans by parents to collect their children on Thursday.
"It really saddens me as a parent," Rivera said. "The administration isn't responding."
Parents take students out of York County school following tension prompted by Trump sign
Shailynn said that on Thursday morning, police, the district superintendent and the mayor had visited the cafeteria while students were there, but that they had not addressed the students.
"They only observed," she said.
PennLive, which reported live as it unfolded Thursday, attempted to interview white students and their parents but all declined.
The incidents at the vocational high school is among several racial incidents that have marred schools communities across the region in recent weeks.
A few weeks ago, a Central Dauphin student posted a picture on Instagram of herself holding a poster that she had written, which read: "You stupid (expletive)."
Last week, a group of Central Dauphin students launched a movement called #destroythehate to combat hate and intolerance at the school.