HENRICO, Va. (WTVR) The noose discovered dangling from a tree outside Varina High School struck a nerve with one parent, but not for what it represents. She says she’s more irritated with how the situation was handled.
It is an image from a painful past, but it was seen in Eastern Henrico just Wednesday.
"I was angry but I'm not going to unleash hatred towards a group of people," said student Deahneja Jackson.
The noose --swinging with the requisite hangman’s knot--was tied to a tree outside a PTSA meeting inside Varina High School Wednesday evening. The troubling news was brought to the attention of the organization’s leader.
"A parent informed me after the PTSA meeting and showed me the picture,” said Tara Adams. “I went outside and saw it."
Shortly after alerting school administrators about the noose, Adams posted a picture on Facebook.
“She has every right to post it,” said Monica Crews, the parent of a student. “But I think it was a lapse in judgment on her part because someone could've taken that out of context and someone could've retaliated and caused more trouble."
Crews says the picture definitely got students riled up at a time when they need to be focused on their future, adding her cousin had called complaining that on Thursday the learning environment at Varina was filled with chatter about racism.
“She wants to concentrate on SOLs and graduating in a couple of weeks,” said Crews. “Not to have this cast a shadow on the rest of her senior year."
School officials and police are investigating the noose incident. Students are urged to tell the School Resource Officer if they hear any information about who put it up.
