On Tuesday evening, over 200 residents, pastors, and parents filled First Missionary Baptist Church in Fernandina Beach to discuss the recent volleyball match between Fernandina Beach High School and Jacksonville’s Andrew Jackson High. Witnesses reported that students in the Fernandina Beach bleachers lifted a Black‑skin‑tone doll while shouting toward the visiting team.
District investigation finds no verified slurs
The Nassau County School District released a three‑page update stating that a review of video, statements, and other information did not substantiate reports of racial slurs during the match. Superintendent Kathy Burns said, “The absence of substantiated slurs does not make the other described acts acceptable.” The district classified the conduct – removing a school‑issued doll from a carrier and holding it aloft while shouting – as inappropriate and a violation of the student code of conduct.
Because of federal student‑privacy laws, the district is withholding specific disciplinary details, but it confirmed that the matter is being addressed according to established procedures.
Community response and calls for accountability
Rev. Darrien K. Bolden, a longtime pastor at First Missionary Baptist, emphasized that “racism has no place here,” linking the meeting’s timing to the anniversary of the 1963 Birmingham church bombing. Local leaders, including Rev. R.L. Gundy Jr. of Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church, presented five specific requests for action, though the athletic director and involved students were not present at the meeting.
Latavia Harris, vice president of the Together Eastside Coalition and 1993 Andrew Jackson alumna, accused Superintendent Burns of “playing in our face” and urged adult accountability for those present in the gym on September 10.
Reather Bennett, whose son and nephew sit within twenty feet of the incident, echoed the demand for accountability, calling for the athletic director’s removal and praising the community’s renewed focus on the issue.
Background on the incident
The doll in question was part of a required parenting course and was initially placed in a baby carrier. During the match, multiple students removed the doll, and two students later held it aloft while shouting. District officials deemed this conduct “inappropriate and unacceptable.”
Critics such as Rev. Bernard Thompson, a 73‑year‑old former educator, labeled the district “the reigning and defending champion of systemic racism,” suggesting that leadership had been “asleep at the wheel.”
Next steps
The district says it will continue its investigation and address violations through its standard disciplinary process. Community members plan to monitor the outcome and hold school officials accountable for ensuring a safe, respectful environment for all students.
Original reporting: Jacksonville Today — read the source article.
