Crime And Law

‘White privilege card,’ report of gun prompt investigations, heightened tensions at Dixie HS

NEW LEBANON — Two separate incidents prompted investigations into a racially-motivated incident and lockdown at Dixie High School in New Lebanon in the last two days, according to the district superintendent.

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On Wednesday, school administrators were notified of “inappropriate behavior” involving a “white privilege card,” New Lebanon Local Schools Superintendent Dr. Greg Williams said in an emailed statement to News Center 7.

Images of the cards obtained by News Center 7 show the cards were made to look like credit cards. The card was described as “commercially available” and the incident led to one student facing discipline, Williams said.

The racially-motivated incident is still under review by the district and New Lebanon police were notified of the incident, Williams said.

A second incident Thursday prompted the district to place the school on a partial lockdown while police investigated a report of a possible gun in the building.

“A social media post indicated that a student had heard that there was a gun in the gym. We did not receive specific information from anyone regarding who might have possessed or witnessed someone with a gun.  We initiated a partial lockdown (staff and students remain in classrooms) until the police were able to help us secure the building,” Williams said in the statement.

No weapon was found during the search and no students are facing any school discipline or legal issues related to the report of a possible weapon at the school, he said.

Williams noted there were “heightened” tensions today at the high school, which could have been caused by a combination of factors.

“Tensions at the school were heightened today regarding the “White Privilege Card” incident. The concern about the weapon may be related to the tension, the recent shooting incident in Michigan, or some combination of factors,” he said.

Additional details were not released. We’ll update this story as we learn more.

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