Cory Hepola on WCCO Newsradio in Minneapolis called for the girl at the center of viral video featuring a racially-motivated verbal attack to be expelled from school for "creating the most disgusting, hateful video imaginable."
But that's clearly not enough, so Hepola asked the question: What else should the district do?
The video in question is a disturbing clip of a white teen spewing hate at a 14-year-old Black girl, calling her the 'N-word' numerous times and encouraging her to kill herself. Another person films the video, giggling.
"She's 14 and this other high school girl create this video, I was so appalled and I see and hear things and I was so appalled I had to stop it. I had to stop the video. I don't think I've ever seen a movie as bad as this," Hepola said, adding there's no question the girl who shot the video need to be expelled.
And more than that needs to be done, Hepola said, including a rehabilitation program for anyone involved.
"Nobody likes n****rs," the girls said in the video as they laughed. "F***ing kill yourself right this time, do it f***king right. Cut deep enough this time or f***king tie the rope higher."
Watch the video below but NOTE THAT IT IS TRIGGERING and includes racial epithets.
"How does a 17 or 18 year old girl talk like that? Not just talk like that, but talk like that in public" Hepola asked. "That calls into question who's talking like this in her life."
The school district immediately reacted to the video with the following statement, but they have not revealed what actions they plan to take.
Hepola added that he doesn't want to hear any excuses about what led to the video or what else was going on in the life of the girl who filmed it. It's inexcusable, he said.
The alleged target of the video, Nya Sigin, told a local TV station, "I’m at a loss of words for what they’ve done." Sigin was targeted with the suicide messages just months after being released from the hospital for mental health issues.
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She added she was grateful for the outpouring of support from classmates, but she wants the school to take action against those involved so she can feel safe. "We love you, we have your back," Hepola said.
"To think that they could even say such things about another human being, it’s beyond me," Sigin said in a local interview.