This situation has sent shockwaves through the community, who are calling for action. Black Park Hill High School senior Colby Barker was made aware of the sexual harassment that his friend was enduring. The white student, who has not been named, reportedly threatened to sexually assault the female victim inside a bathroom.
After going to the administration, the female student and several others continued being tormented by the white student. Despite mounting complaints of the teen threatening to rape girls on school grounds, the school did not reprimand him. According to the Kansas City Defender, this led Barker to take matters into his own hands, confronting the potentially violent offender, which resulted in the white student calling Barker the N-word.
“It was the heat of the moment,” Barker told the outlet. “After he called me a ‘n***er’ and made the rape threat, I was fuming. I pinned him against the wall, had him there for about 20 seconds.”
One of Barker’s teammates intervened during this encounter, separating the two. However, school leadership swiftly punished Barker for standing up to the white student. He was suspended for seven days, causing him to miss his football senior night. Barker is currently experiencing homelessness, and the night was one of his most anticipated moments.
“I was going to walk by myself, and to me, that would have been a show of strength, of independence,” he shared. “Even though I’ve gone through most of my life by myself, I still stand tall and proud. But they took that away from me,” he explained.
Colby’s suspension is causing many to question the intentions of the school. A petition to expel the white student has achieved nearly 700 signatures. Additional female students have come forward after the story gained attention, sharing their own accounts of being sexually assaulted and harassed by the white student.
As of now, the accused perpetrator remains active in school. Park Hill High School says they are investigating.
