FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. — The Nassau County School District has completed an investigation into an incident involving Fernandina Beach High School students who displayed a black baby doll during a volleyball match against a Andrew Jacksonville High School.
Nassau school district officials released a three-page report detailing their conclusions from the inquiry. According to the report, a student enrolled in a parenting course brought the doll into the gymnasium inside a carrier as part of a mandatory project.
During the match, additional students removed the doll from its carrier, according to the report. Investigators noted that two individuals were observed lifting the doll overhead and yelling at different moments. The investigation determined that allegations regarding racial slurs could not be verified, the report states.
However, district officials labeled the behavior improper and confirmed that the students involved were subjected to disciplinary measures.
The findings were released following a meeting at First Missionary Baptist Church in Fernandina Beach. Dozens of people filled the church Tuesday night as religious leaders and residents from Nassau and Duval counties assembled to express their concerns during what they described as a demand for accountability and a call for reform.
Attendees at the gathering also expressed concern that the incident might negatively impact the city’s reputation.
“Racism has no place here,” said the Rev. Darien Bolden. “Not in our schools, not in our churches, not in our athletic arenas, not in our classrooms, not in our neighborhoods, not in our communities, but certainly not in the hearts and minds of our young children.
“A volleyball game should be a place where young people compete, grow, learn teamwork, and represent their schools with pride,” Bolden said during the meeting. “No student should have to enter an athletic arena wondering whether the color of their skin will make them a target of humiliation and intimidation. Our children deserve that.”
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